Experts of the 15-member council met behind closed doors for a little over two hours to discuss a Japanese draft resolutuion urging financial sanctions against Pyongyang after it test-fired seven missiles, including a new long-range Taepodong-2 which could theoretically reach US soil.

The text, co-sponsored by the United States and Britain, would urge UN member states to prevent the transfer of financial resources, items, goods and technology that could contribute to Pyongyang's missile program and other weapons of mass destruction programs.

Although the draft enjoys broad support among the council's 15 members, Russia and China, two veto-wielding permanent members, oppose a reference to punitive measures and to Chapter Seven of the UN charter, diplomats said.

"Our position remains unchanged," Chinese UN delegate Li Junhua told AFP after Thursday's meeting.

He said Russia and China were still insisting that the council adopt a weaker, non-binding statement without any threat of sanctions.

"We need some flexible signals from our Japanese colleagues," he added, alluding to an alternative to a binding resolution. "Every member of the council, every player in the region agrees that we must solve the issue through diplomatic channels.

But US Ambassador John Bolton made it clear that he wanted the proposed draft resolution to refer to Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which is invoked in cases of threats to international peace and security and can lead to sanctions or even military action.

Bolton stressed that the council must react more forcefully than it did in 1998 when North Korea fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan into the Pacific.

The council then adopted a non-binding statement slamming the launch.

"This is very different from the circumstances of 1998," Bolton said. "The circumstances now are such, with North Korea declared a nuclear weapons power ... obviously intent on trying to intimidate its neighbors in the region and others, ... that this is a test for the Security Council."

"The support remains really overwhelming to make a very strong statement of condemnation of the North Korean missile launches and to take strong effective measures in response," Bolton said. "It's important that people see the breadth of concern and opposition to what the North Koreans have done."

Diplomats said it was unclear whether the council's ambassadors would meet later Thursday to try to break the deadlock.

US President George W. Bush, meanwhile, telephoned his Russian and Chinese counterparts, pressing for robust action against North Korea, as Pyongyang threatened to fire off new missile tests.

"I was pleased from the response I got from the leaders (from China, Japan, Russia and South Korea)," Bush said after speaking by telephone to leaders of all four countries. "They, like me, are concerned."

But he cautioned that it would take time to cement what he described as a critical international consensus.

"Diplomacy takes a while, particularly when you're dealing with a variety of partners. And so, we're spending time diplomatically making sure that voice is unified," Bush said. "These problems won't be solved overnight."

North Korea's foreign ministry meanwhile said Pyongyang "will go on with missile-launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defence in the future."

Pyongyang, which last year declared it had nuclear weapons, warned it "will have no option but to take stronger physical actions of other forms, should any other country dare take issue with the exercises and put pressure upon it."

In his phone conversation with Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao appealed for restraint, saying Beijing was "committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and was opposed to any actions that might intensify the situation."

Hu also urged Washington to create conditions that will lead to a resumption of the long-stalled six-nation talks, which are hosted by Beijing and are aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program.

The six-nation talks, which include China, the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Russia, have been stalled for months after Pyongyang boycotted them over US financial sanctions imposed on the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin for his part said Moscow was worried about the North Korean missile launches but called for discussion to reach compromise on the crisis.

And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that threats to punish North Korea would only spur more threatening behavior from Pyongyang and said a more "balanced" diplomatic approach was necessary.

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