At U.N., China asked to back human rights case against North Korea

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The chief U.N. investigator into human rights cases in North Korea said on Wednesday he has appealed to China to support calls to refer Pyongyang's actions to The Hague on suspicion of crimes against humanity.

Western diplomats say China, North Korea's principal protector on the U.N. Security Council, will likely use its veto power there to knock down any attempt to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court.