N Korea's rocket plan upstages global nuclear summit in Seoul

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and China wrapped up a global nuclear security summit last week with stark warnings about the threat of nuclear terrorism.

But the gathering of nearly 60 leaders in Seoul on Monday and Tuesday - called to find ways to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists and rogue states - was upstaged by North Korea's plans to launch a satellite on a long-range rocket around April 15, when the country celebrates the birthday of founder Kim Il-sung.

Washington and Seoul viewed the launch as cover for nuclear missile development, and the world focused on how Beijing reacted to the behaviour by its communist ally.

North Korea has been a source of tension between Beijing and Washington, and the latest development clouded the summit and sideline encounters between President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart, Barack Obama.

Chinese state media, particularly those targeting overseas readers and directly under Communist Party and central government control, were mobilised to play their dutiful role, churning out articles to defend China's policy on nuclear affairs and its dubious stance on Pyongyang.

All of the main state newspapers, including party mouthpiece People's Daily, its English-language subsidiary Global Times, and China Daily, attacked Obama over his visit to the North-South Korean demilitarised zone (DMZ). They said the trip would only inflame tensions.