With tensions still high a fortnight after the North's bombardment of a South Korean border island, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Admiral Mike Mullen is to visit Seoul to stress the strength of the alliance.

Mullen will meet his Seoul JCS counterpart General Han Min-Koo and other senior military officials on Wednesday as well as new defence minister Kim Kwan-Jin.

The two sides "plan to analyse the intention of North Korean provocations and discuss measures to deter further provocations through close cooperation", Seoul's military said in a statement.

The North's artillery attack on Yeonpyeong, one of five islands near the tense disputed Yellow Sea border, killed two civilians and two marines and destroyed almost 30 homes.

It was the first attack on a civilian-populated area in the South since the 1950-53 war and was seen as a sharp escalation from military-to-military clashes in past years.

The South has vowed to hit back harder, using air power, for any future provocations. It shrugged off the North's warnings that this week's firing drills at 29 locations around the South's coast could spark war.

However the JCS said a drill off Daecheong, one of the five frontline islands, had been delayed due to bad weather.

China, which provides the North with a fuel and food lifeline, has come under pressure to curb its long-time ally but has failed even to criticise the island attack.

It called for emergency talks among the envoys to stalled six-nation negotiations on North Korean denuclearisation.

But Washington, Seoul and Tokyo baulked, instead holding their own three-way meeting of foreign ministers in the US capital on Monday.

"We appreciate Beijing's initiative to propose an emergency six-party gathering. However, we first need an appropriate basis for the resumption of talks," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan added: "We would like China to have a more clear stance in giving warning to North Korea and to contain these provocative actions by North Korea."

Kim said the three agreed the North would face "severe consequences" if it engages in further provocations, but the nature of these remained unclear.

Beijing in response again called for wider negotiations.

"The responsibility for safeguarding peace and stability should be shouldered by all parties in the region. We call on all parties to positively respond to our proposal for talks," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu.

Jiang also slammed a Washington Post report that US officials are privately accusing China of "enabling" North Korea to start a uranium enrichment programme and to launch attacks on the South.

"We feel the accusation is irresponsible," the spokeswoman said. "China's efforts (to maintain peace and stability) have been witnessed by all."

Wednesday's talks between Han and Mullen are expected to consider modifying the rules of engagement in case of future attacks, a Seoul military source told Yonhap news agency.

The South currently has an agreement to consult US forces before using its own jet fighters in combat. The United States stations some 28,500 troops in the country.

"The two sides are likely to discuss the issue of approving an air raid when North Korea attacks our territory," the source said.

The South has sent more artillery and troops to border islands. President Lee Myung-Bak, at a cabinet meeting, ordered measures both to fortify them and to woo residents to return.

Some 1,250 of the 1,361 civilians on Yeonpyeong, a garrison and fishing settlement, fled after the attack, as did some residents of other islands.

Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek, in charge of cross-border relations, described the shelling as an "indelible atrocity" and the "worst choice" Pyongyang had ever made.

Hyun told a seminar the attack -- and the sinking of a South Korean warship in March with the loss of 46 lives -- had shattered any remaining illusions about the North.

The South, citing a multinational investigation, says the warship was hit by a North Korean torpedo. Pyongyang denies the charge.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News