Byline: PAUL KORING

WASHINGTON -- Using surprisingly tough language, China signalled its willingness yesterday to back a push by major Western powers to punish North Korea for its weekend nuclear test.

"There has to be some punitive actions," said Wang Guangya, China's ambassador to the United Nations, as the Security Council huddled for a second day over how to reprimand North Korea without provoking a catastrophe among its impoverished and oppressed population of 23 million. "But also I think these actions have to be appropriate," he warned.

China's message to the major powers was punish, but punish carefully. While Beijing continues to signal its anger and frustration over Pyongyang's willful defiance of pleas to refrain from conducting the nuclear test, it also appears unwilling to impose really tough sanctions.

The position taken by China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, is crucial as the crisis plays out. As Pyongyang's sole ally...