China and Japan to Support N. Korea Sanctions

South Korean officials say they have convinced China and Japan to back financial sanctions against North Korea for torpedoeing a South Korean warship in March. The move would be most significant for China, North Korea’s only ally in the region, since it has until recently withheld any criticism of its neighbor. China has also stalled in announcing the results of its own investigation into the ship’s sinking. Seoul, invoking a United Nations resolution, now wants all influx of money into North Korea to be stopped—a potentially crucial blow to the already fragile North Korean economy. But North Korea has threatened serious retaliation, even war, on several occasions. "If things go wrong it could have very serious consequences far wider than just Korea," South Korea’s foreign minister said.