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Summary
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that North Korea must face consequences for the sinking of a South Korean warship. Speaking in Tokyo ahead of a visit to Beijing and Seoul, Mrs Clinton said that the United States, Japan, South Korea and China are consulting on an appropriate reaction to an international investigation that blamed North Korea for the incident. While it was premature to discuss exact actions that will be taken in response, Mrs Clinton said it was important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences. North Korea denies it was responsible for the March sinking of Cheonan that left 46 sailors dead. It has also threatened to retaliate against any attempt to punish it with all-out war. Analysts said the US is likely to push for new sanctions against North Korea and step up joint naval exercises with South Korea. But it remains unclear whether North Korea's sole major ally China would go along with another round of sanctions. In a sign the US was not expecting tensions to abruptly escalate, the head of the US military, Admiral Mike Mullen, said US troops had not been put on a state of alert, despite Pyongyang's threats of war.Meanwhile, a Yonhap report on Friday said the US-led United Nations Command in South Korea may propose a joint investigation with the North into the sinking of the warship, in an attempt to defuse tensions.
