US, South Korea Refuse Talks With North

The US, South Korea, and Japan are saying “thanks, but no thanks” to China’s request for emergency talks with North Korea, arguing that talks would only reward the rogue regime for its recent aggression. “The United States and a host of others, I don’t think, are not interested in stabilizing the region through a series of PR activities,” Robert Gibbs tells the New York Times.

South Korea hasn't even commented on China's proposal, while Japan has said any talks hinge on North Korea changing its behavior. “We’re trying to get out of this cycle where they act up and we talk,” said one Obama administration official. Turning down the talks amounts to a rebuke of China, but also illustrates how few options Washington has for dealing with Korea; it had been counting on China to intervene. (More North Korea stories.)