Was China Notified of 2nd Nuke Test?

Amid mounting speculation that North Korea’s second nuclear test is imminent, U.S. officials said Tuesday (local time) that North Korea`s military informed China of its intention to carry out a series of underground nuclear tests, NBC News reported, quoting.

However, it is still unclear whether the details of the notification were included when the North notified China just before it carried out the first nuclear test or added later.

The communist regime is planning to conduct multiple nuclear tests and spy satellites have captured images of up to three sites that show signs of possible preparations for an additional nuclear test, CNN reported.

The U.S. intelligence officials said activity at a site in North Korea is looking very similar to that seen at the initial test site just before the October 9 nuclear test, and buildings and other structures are being fabricated at this second site, possibly in an effort to hide activities from spy satellites, CNN added.

"It would not be unreasonable to assume the North Koreans are planning something," White House press secretary Tony Snow said.

However, in regard to foreign media’s reports on North Korea’s notification to China on its plan to conduct additional tests, Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Kyu-hyeong said, “As far as we know, the Chinese government has not been informed anything [from North Korea].”

“(NBC’s reports) do not seem to be true,” an official at the Korean embassy in China said. “We have not yet received any notification from China.”

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