中国敦促联合国安理会对北韩具有争议的火箭发射采取克制回应态度，并拒绝谴责平壤的这一举动。中国外交部发言人姜瑜星期二说，这个问题涉及一个国家和平利用外太空的权利。
姜瑜星期二在北京对记者说，尽管火箭技术和导弹技术有相似之处，但中国相信发射卫星与发射弹道导弹是有区别的。
日本外交大臣说，北韩放弃其核项目后，就有发展空间技术的权利。他说，可以用来向日本发射核武器的火箭技术让日本感到威胁。日本说，北韩星期天发射的火箭在日本两个县上空飞行了大约7分钟。
China is urging the United Nations Security Council to respond with restraint to North Korea’s controversial rocket launch and is refusing to condemn Pyongyang’s actions.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Tuesday the issue also involves a country’s right to peaceful use of outer space.
She told reporters in Beijing that while there are similarities between rocket technology and missile technology, China believes that launching a satellite is different than firing a ballistic missile.
Japan’s foreign minister (Hirofumi Nakasone) said North Korea will have the right to develop space technology after it gives up its nuclear program. He said Japan feels threatened by rocket technology that could be used to fire a nuclear weapon at Japan.
Japan says the North Korean rocket fired on Sunday flew over two Japanese prefectures for about seven minutes.