JAPAN: As the world braced itself for a second nuclear test by North Korea, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice flew into Tokyo yesterday keen to avoid an escalation of the crisis during talks with Asian countries while ensuring effective implementation of the sanctions against North Korea.
Dr Rice's arrival signals the start of a diplomatic broadside by the Bush administration aimed at rallying the international community behind the UN sanctions.
Dr Rice reassured Japan that Washington would stand by a commitment to protect its Asian ally, trying to temper concerns of an Asian nuclear arms race after North Korea's test.
"The United States has the will and the capability to meet the full range - and I underscore full range - of its deterrent and security commitments to Japan," Dr Rice told a news conference in Tokyo, the first stop on her tour of north Asia.
The US is worried Japan and South Korea might embark on an Asian arms race in response to North Korea's joining of the nuclear club.
A big part of Ms Rice's mission will be to secure China's resolute support for the sanctions, which may be less challenging than it appears.
While the Chinese have wavered on condemning North Korea outright before, there are signs that this test pushed Beijing's patience with its communist ally too far.
China was given only short notice of the test, which it had long put pressure on North Korea not to carry out.
Even though it fears the destabilising effect of regime change across the border in North Korea,
China is also thinking about its broader international role these days and is happy to make the most of the rare opportunity to agree with Washington, Tokyo and Seoul.
The People's Daily said the test had "touched China's warning-line" and said China would consider cutting off the food and energy aid that it supplies to North Korea if there was an escalation. China's aid is the difference between survival and collapse for North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong- il signalled his country's defiance in the face of international sanctions imposed since his country's first nuclear test on October 9th by making his first public appearance since the weapons test at a gala concert on Tuesday celebrating the "Down with Imperialism Union", a precursor to the communist Workers Party that now rules the impoverished country.
He listened delightedly to songs such as Love of Comrades and Always Looking Up to the Leader.
"He waved back to the enthusiastically cheering artistes and audience and congratulated them on their successful performance," the North's official KCNA news agency reported yesterday.
Living in the shadow of the bomb in South Korea, most people have adopted a fatalistic attitude to the stand-off.
They are long used to North Korea's antics and believe that much of the current crisis is based on the West not paying enough attention to Kim Jong-il and focusing too much on Iraq.
Residents of South Korea say they are more worried about military intervention by the United States than they are by what they see as trademark posturing by their neighbours.
They also fear the financial burden of reunification.
A second test would certainly jangle nerves, however. From monitoring equipment movements,
US intelligence officials believe North Korea is gearing up for the second test and has informed China of this fact, although South Korean says it was unaware of any imminent test.
"As we understand it, China has not received such a notice. We understand the North has not given notice of such a plan," said South Korea's deputy foreign minister Lee Kyu-hyung.
The US believes a second nuclear test could be used to test the will of the international community and the desire to resume long-stalled six-nation talks, including the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia, about Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.