J apan, US launch biggest ever joint drill(Agencies)Updated: 2010-12-03 10:51A ceremony is held at the US naval base in Sasebo, southern Japan, to mark the beginning of Japan-US defence exercises Dec 3, 2010. Photo/AgenciesTOKYO Japan and the United States launched their biggest ever joint military exercise Friday amid tensions on the Korean peninsula, the Japanese defence ministry said.The Keen Sword drills, which mark the 50th anniversary of the Japanese-US alliance, will continue until December 10, officials said The drill was planned beforetheDemocraticPeoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK)exchanged fire lastweek in waters near the contentious sea border called the Northern Limit Line (NLL) but comes just days after a US and South Korean show of military force aimed to deter Pyongyang.Around 34,000 Japanese military personnel with 40 warships and 250 aircraft are joining more than 10,000 US counterparts with 20 warships and 150 aircraft in the drill off Japans southern islands, close to the coast of South Korea.The manoeuvres include integrated air and missile defence, base security, close air support, live-fire training, maritime defence and search and rescue。The Pacific allies are for the first time being joined by South Korean military observers, in a bid by Tokyo to demonstrate solidarity among the three countries at a time of high tension in the region.Japan sent soldiers in an observer capacity to take part in joint US-South Korean military exercises in July, held after the sinking of the Cheonan, a 1,200-tonne South Korean naval vessel, the Japanese defence ministry said.The joint manoeuvres will be much bigger than a naval exercise staged by Washington and Seoul this week in a show of force.Japan relies heavily on the United States for its security as under its pacifist constitution, its military is not allowed to attack enemy territories.Beijing seeks diplomacy for ROK-DPRK tensionsBy Qin Jize (China Daily)Updated: 2010-12-01 08:09BEIJING - China said on Tuesday that it believed all parties will seriously consider its proposal for an emergency meeting by representatives of the Six-Party Talks, urging the relevant sides to resolve their respective concerns in the framework of the multi-lateral dialogue. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said it is extremely urgent to bring issues involving the Korean Peninsula back to the negotiating table. It is in the interests of all sides - and is the expectation of the international community, Hong said during a regular news briefing. Maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, he added, is the shared responsibility of all sides. Hong said China was aware of earlier reports of Pyongyangs latest uranium enrichment program, and also urged dialogue on that issue as well. Reuters quoted Japans Nikkei News Agency as saying that the foreign ministers of the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan will meet in Washington on Dec 6 to discuss the crisis with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well the Chinese proposal for the emergency consultations. So far, all have voiced reservations about holding the six-way informal talks. The reports said the three countries hoped to nudge China to use its leverage to restrain the DPRK. In a further bid to ease growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday, Beijing began hosting a visit by Choe Thae-bok, the chairman of the DPRKs Supreme Peoples Assembly and secretary of the Workers Partys Central Committee. This represents the first time a senior DPRK leader has visited China since the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire last week in waters off the peninsula near a disputed maritime border. State Councilor Dai Bingguo will visit the DPRK as early as Wednesday, Kyodo News Agency said quoted diplomatic sources in Beijing. Meanwhile, Japans chief negotiator at the Six-Party Talks, Akitaka Saiki, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei. In another development, Pyongyang on Tuesday warned that the continuing military drill by the United States and the ROK could lead to all-out war any time. Pyongyangs KCNA news service said that if the joint forces fire once into the territorial waters of the DPRK, there would be serious consequences. Zhang Liangui, a professor at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said that, given the circumstances, Chinas proposal is a responsible one. However he added, the US, the ROK and Japan appear disinterested in stabilizing the situation through diplomacy in lieu of first punishing the DPRK before returning to the negotiating table. He said both Pyongyang and Seoul are now pursuing a hard-line policy after the clashes, and that the peninsula is on the brink of war. Wang Chenyan and agencies contributed to this story. China Daily 辩论题Donate blood to save liv