UN council divided on response to N. Korea launch

* Security Council takes no action, will meet again

* US wants strong response; China and Russia urge caution

* Council split on whether North Korea violated U.N. rules

* US, Japan to seek stricter enforcement of existing curbs (Updates with end of meeting, adds U.S., Chinese envoys)

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council met on Sunday to discuss a response to North Korea's rocket launch but took no immediate action as major powers disagreed over whether Pyongyang had done anything wrong.

Japan had called for the emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket on Sunday. But after a session lasting around three hours, the 15 members agreed only to discuss the matter further.

"Members of the Security Council agreed to continue consultations on the appropriate reaction by the council in accordance with its responsibilities given the urgency of the matter," Mexico's U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller, who holds the council's rotating presidency, told reporters.

The United States, Japan and South Korea say the launch violated council resolutions banning the firing of ballistic missiles by Pyongyang, which has tested a nuclear device and is in stalled six-party talks about ending its nuclear program.

But council diplomats said China, the nearest North Korea has to a major ally, and Russia were not convinced that the launch of what North Korea said was a satellite constituted a violation of U.N. rules. Libya, Vietnam and Uganda also supported this view, they said.

"It's 10 against five," one diplomat told Reuters.

Diplomats said council members struggled in vain for nearly an hour to agree a nonbinding statement to the press that would have expressed "concern" about the launch. But they said Russia, China and their three supporters would not accept the word "concern" and the statement was dropped.

CHINA SPEAKS

China's U.N. ambassador, Zhang Yesui, made a rare appearance to address reporters after the meeting. He took no questions but emphasized that Beijing did not want the council to take rash or excessive action.

"Our position is that all countries concerned should show restraint and refrain from taking actions that might lead to increased tension," he said. "Regarding the reaction of the Security Council our position is that it has to be cautious and proportionate."

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice acknowledged that there was no consensus on whether the rocket was a violation of Security Council resolution 1718, passed after North Korea's 2006 nuclear test. That resolution banned Pyongyang from launching ballistic missiles or carrying out further atomic tests.

"Members expressed varying views on that topic," she said, adding that the launch "merits a clear and strong response" by the council.

Washington and Tokyo are drafting a resolution demanding stricter enforcement, and possibly expansion, of an existing arms embargo and financial sanctions, diplomats said.

The diplomats also said that China and Russia had made clear they would use their veto powers to block any resolution imposing new sanctions on Pyongyang. (Editing by Chris Wilson)