China has called for an emergency meeting amid mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula following a North Korean artillery attack on a South Korean island, the Wall Street Journal reported. Beijing’s diplomatic initiative comes as the US and South Korea begin large-scale naval drills in the Yellow Sea. China’s top foreign affairs official, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, and other Chinese officials made a hurried weekend visit to Seoul that appeared to be aimed at restarting a series of six-party talks. Seoul reacted coolly to China’s proposal, while an official from South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s office told Chinese emissaries that now was not the "right time" for disarmament talks with the North. Lee also called on Beijing to take a "more fair and responsible position" on Korean issues and to play "a new international role that is in line" with post-Cold War realities. China has faced increasing international pressure to rein in Pyongyang, which relies on Chinese aid and political protection.
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