(LEAD) China's Xi vows full implementation of U.N. sanctions against N. Korea

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with fresh quotes, details; ADDS photo)

BEIJING, April 28 (Yonhap) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that Beijing will "comprehensively and fully" implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and launch of a long-range rocket prompted China, the North's diplomatic backer and economic lifeline, to vote in favor of tougher sanctions against the isolated ally.

"As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China will comprehensively and fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea," Xi told a group of foreign ministers who gathered in Beijing for a regional security forum.

"As a close neighbor of the peninsula, we will never allow war or chaos to occur on the peninsula," Xi said in his keynote speech at the foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

"If a situation occurs, such a development would not benefit anyone," Xi said.

Xi also repeated that dialogue and negotiations with North Korea should be resumed at an early date, saying talks are the only way to help resolve the current nuclear standoff.

Since North Korea was slapped with tougher U.N. sanctions in early March, the North has carried out ballistic missile tests and threatened to conduct more nuclear tests.

Many analysts suggest that North Korea could conduct another nuclear test to bolster domestic solidarity in time for its rare party congress on May 6, which will be the first such convention in 36 years.

Founded in 1992, the CICA has 26 member states, mostly non-Western countries such as Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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