DATE=1/12/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244061
TITLE=CHINA / NORTH KOREA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA SAYS A KEY NUCLEAR AGREEMENT NORTH KOREA HAS
THREATENED TO SCRAP IS WORKING WELL AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE
IMPLEMENTED. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS BEIJING
HAS RENEWED ITS PLEDGE TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN REDUCING
TENSIONS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
TEXT: NORTH KOREA TUESDAY THREATENED TO ABANDON THE SO-CALLED
AGREED FRAMEWORK -- A 1994 PACT UNDER WHICH IT PROMISED TO FREEZE
AND EVENTUALLY DISMANTLE ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. IN EXCHANGE, A
CONSORTIUM MADE UP OF THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA
PLEDGED TO SUPPLY COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND FUEL OIL
SUPPLIES TO PYONGYANG. BUT NORTH KOREA SAYS THE UNITED STATES
HAS NOT KEPT ITS END OF THE BARGAIN.
SOUTH KOREAN AND U-S DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAID THE NORTH KOREAN
THREAT -- WHICH WAS DELIVERED THROUGH AN EDITORIAL IN PYONGYANG'S
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER -- WAS A ROUTINE RHETORICAL BLAST IN ADVANCE
OF CRUCIAL TALKS THIS WEEKEND. NORTH KOREAN AND U-S DIPLOMATS
ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET IN GENEVA ON SATURDAY TO DISCUSS U-S
SUSPICIONS THAT PYONGYANG IS REVIVING ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THAT
MEETING IS TO BE FOLLOWED BY FOUR-PARTY TALKS INVOLVING NORTH AND
SOUTH KOREA, CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES, THAT ARE AIMED AT
ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT PEACE ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
ASKED FOR BEIJING'S REACTION TO THE LATEST NORTH KOREAN THREAT, A
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN DID NOT CRITICIZE NORTH KOREA.
BUT HE INDICATED CHINA SUPPORTS THE AGREED FRAMEWORK. SPOKESMAN
SUN YUXI --SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER--SAID THE PACT IS
WORKING REASONABLY WELL.
//INTERPRETER ACTUALITY//
I AM OF THE VIEW THAT SINCE THE AGREED FRAMEWORK (WAS) SIGNED,
THE TWO SIDES AND RELEVANT PARTIES HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IT
(IN) REAL EARNEST.
//END ACTUALITY//
U-S AND SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS SAY CHINA --THOUGH NOT A SIGNATORY
TO THE AGREED FRAMEWORK-- HAS CONSISTENTLY TRIED TO INFLUENCE
NORTH KOREA TO TAKE A MORE-CONSTRUCTIVE STANCE IN ITS
NEGOTIATIONS WITH ITS COUNTERPARTS. MR. SUN SAYS CHINA --WHICH
HAS GOOD RELATIONS WITH BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA--WILL
CONTINUE TO TRY TO EASE TENSIONS ON THE PENINSULA.
//INTERPRETER ACTUALITY//
IT IS OUR HOPE THAT, WHETHER IT IS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
AGREED FRAMEWORK OR ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PERMANENT PEACE
THERE, WE CAN WORK ON THE BASIS OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS WE HAVE
ALREADY MADE.
//END ACTUALITY//
TENSION HAS INCREASED ON THE PENINSULA SINCE NORTH KOREA FIRED A
MISSILE OVER JAPAN IN AUGUST. PYONGYANG HAS ALSO REFUSED TO
GRANT ACCESS TO WHAT THE UNITED STATES SUSPECTS IS A VAST
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR COMPLEX, UNLESS WASHINGTON PAYS IT 300
MILLION DOLLARS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC
12-Jan-99 6:26 AM EST (1126 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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