DATE=10/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / NORTH KOREA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254623
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China's foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan begins a
five-day visit to North Korea Tuesday, ostensibly to
mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two Communist
countries. But as VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison
reports, Western diplomats in Beijing say they expect
Mr. Tang to press the North Koreans to curtail their
nuclear ambitions.
TEXT: China and North Korea share a long border and a
long history as Communist comrades-in-arms. But the
alliance between the two countries - once described as
being as close as lips and teeth -- has seen better
days. Whereas China has adopted economic reforms and
opened up to the outside world, North Korea remains as
committed as ever to hard-line communism, self-
reliance and a personality cult surrounding its
leaders. Pyongyang was deeply hurt by Beijing's
decision in 1992 to establish diplomatic relations
with South Korea.
China has refrained from publicly telling North Korea
how to run its shattered economy. But diplomats in
Beijing say China is growing weary of giving aid to a
government that shows few signs of wanting to fix its
problems. Last June, Beijing promised Pyongyang 150-
thousand tons of grain and 400-thousand tons of coal
to tide it over its shortages of food and energy. But
diplomats say China gave the aid because it feels it
must do everything possible to stave off a total
economic collapse in North Korea. The diplomats say
Beijing's fear is that the steady flow of refugees now
coming into China may become even bigger.
Mr. Tang is likely to discuss these bilateral issues
with his North Korean hosts. But Western diplomats
say he will also urge them to comply with agreements
allowing the United Nations to inspect North Korean
nuclear programs. Pyongyang came under criticism last
week at the annual meeting of the International Atomic
Energy Agency - a U-N watchdog group - for failing to
grant the agency's inspectors access to a suspected
underground nuclear site. International officials
also fear North Korea may be destroying information
about its nuclear program.
Western diplomats say China has played a useful role
in United States-led efforts to stop North Korea from
developing nuclear weapons. But Washington's security
concerns have more recently focused on trying to get
Pyongyang to refrain from testing long-range missiles.
The United States announced last month that it would
relax its trade and investment embargo against North
Korea after Pyongyang said it would not test any
such missiles this year.
Beijing-based diplomats say China may not enjoy the
degree of influence over North Korea that some
observers assume, but they say it probably has more
clout in Pyongyang than any other country. The
diplomats say they do not know whether Mr. Tang will
also try to press the North Koreans not to develop
missiles - which Pyongyang insists is its sovereign
right. (Signed)
NEB/RW/FC/KL
04-Oct-1999 07:05 AM EDT (04-Oct-1999 1105 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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