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China and Japan, which have been engaged in a dispute over the level of severity of a UN Security Council resolution against North Korea, also traded words over Tokyo’s mulling of a preemptive strike against North Korean military sites.

On July 12, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu spoke out against the preemptive strike remarks made by several Japanese politicians in a commentary posted on the ministry’s web site.

"It is an irresponsible deed at the time of utmost efforts from international society" to resolve the issues surrounding North Korea’s missile tests, Jiang said.

Jiang went on, "The remarks by Japanese politicians are causing an escalation of tensions in Northeast Asia and are undermining international society’s diplomatic efforts."

However, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Shinzo Abe, one of those who proposed the preemptive strike plan against North Korea, said he made the remarks on the premise that Japan would be under attack for a strike to occur. It is an inappropriate view that the remark represented a blind proposal of a preemptive strike, Abe said. Asked about his decision given the scenario that Japan were ’about to be’ attacked, Abe answered that "as a practical problem, it is very hard to decide whether to attack." Abe said Japan may respond if there were a missile strike of Japan.

Regarding Abe’s qualifying of his initial remarks, some observers said he was backtracking amid strong criticism from Japanese media and the South Korean government.