"There is no missile threat in the region," Yury Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the Russian general staff, was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS while on a visit to Beijing.

Many of the accusations against North Korea "are far-fetched," the top Russian general said.

"My Chinese colleagues and I have concluded that North Korea's nuclear program is not advanced enough to pose a threat to the United States," said Baluyevsky, commenting on a US announcement that it plans to field a limited missile shield by 2004.

The Russian general's comments came a day after Japan's defense chief, Shigeru Ishiba, met his US counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, in Washington to discuss their bilateral missile defense initiative.

"I said I will consider the missile defense issue with a view of future development and deployment," Ishiba told reporters after meeting with Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, according to Kyodo News.

Ishiba said he had not committed Japan to the next stage of missile defense.

Japan has hesitated to join such a program as its post-war constitution bans the nation from resorting to arms in resolving international disputes.

SPACE.WIRE