VOA标准英语2010年-Clinton Condemns N. Korean Sinking of

（单词翻译）

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (l), talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama during a meeting at Hatoyama's official residence in Tokyo, May 21, 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the evidence that a North Korean torpedo¹ sank a South Korean navy ship is "overwhelming and condemning²."  Clinton made the comments during a brief stop in Tokyo Friday, where she met with her Japanese counterpart and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Secretary Clinton expressed the United States' strong condemnation³ of the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship⁴.  The torpedo, launched from a North Korean submarine, sunk the Cheonan and killed 46 sailors.

Clinton said she and her Japanese counterpart, Katsuya Okada, discussed the situation, which has raised tensions on the Korean peninsula. "We agree that North Korea must stop its provocative⁵ behavior, halt its policy of threats of belligerence⁶ towards its neighbors, and take irreversible steps to fulfill⁷ its denuclearization commitments and comply with international law," she said.

Clinton said she plans in-depth consultations⁸ in the coming days with regional allies China and South Korea to determine the international response to the North Korean attack.  But when asked by a reporter what options the international community has in responding to North Korea, she said it was too premature⁹ to make any announcements.

"I think it is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences.  We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community.  So we will determine our best options moving forward and send a clear, unmistakable message to North Korea regarding the international community's and its neighbors' concerns about its behavior," she said

On Thursday, South Korea released the results of an international investigation¹⁰ which found that a torpedo fired from the North Korean submarine sunk the ship.

North Korea has rejected the findings as a "fabrication" and has vowed¹¹ to respond to any potential retaliation¹² with "all out war." 

In addition to the South Korean issue, Clinton and Okada discussed the future of a U.S. military base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

When he took power last year, Prime Minister Hatoyama promised to move the base off the island but has since gone back on that pledge, garnering¹³ much public outrage¹⁴ manifested in his falling approval ratings.

Locals say the Futenma Air Base, is, among other things, too close to residential¹⁵ areas and causes excessive noise.

During a joint¹⁶ news conference with Secretary Clinton, Foreign Minister Okada said the government is continuing negotiations¹⁷ with the United States on resolving the issue, and he hopes to do so by the end of the month.  He is heard here through a translator speaking about the importance of the base in light of the recent tensions between North and South Korea.

"In the current security environment, the presence of U.S. forces is indispensable for the security and stability of Japan, but not only just that - but the region's stability," he said.

Secretary Clinton said the United States wants to see an "operationally viable¹⁸ and politically sustainable" solution.

Clinton's next stop is China, where she will visit the Shanghai Expo and then go on to Beijing for high-level economic and political talks.