ROK, China Fine-Tune Approach to 6-Way Talks
2003-11-11
North Korea and the United States must go to the second round of six-way talks with negotiable proposals if the forum is to yield tangible results towards settling the nuclear crisis, visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo said on Monday (Nov. 10). Dai made the points when he met with Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Yoon Young-kwan and Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun on the second day of his visit to Seoul.
In the meetings, the Chinese official detailed the results of a recent visit to North Korea by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Chinese parliament, and listened to South Korea's assessment of the situation, according to Seoul officials.
In particular, the Chinese side underlined the impression it got during Wu Bangguo's visit that North Korea really wants a peaceful solution to this (nuclear) issue,??said Chung Sang-ki, director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs at the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry.
Dai voiced Beijing's hope that Pyongyang and Washington will go to the next six-way talks with proposals the other side can buy and negotiate on,??Chung added.
Exact dates for the six-way talks have not been set, as China, which has been active in mediating the talks, is still in the process of canvassing different countries' views.
Yoon expressed Seoul's desire for a timely resumption of the talks. It is widely expected that the second round of talks will materialize by the year's end.
Dai said the Chinese delegation during the North Korea visit got the impression that the North's political and economic situation is stabilizing, particularly the latter which is clearly showing signs of development,??Chung said.
Dai also met with Prime Minister Goh Kun and attended a dinner thrown by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jae-sup. The Chinese official is expected to pay a courtesy call on President Roh Moo-hyun on Tuesday, and will depart for Japan on Wednesday
Source : www.korea.net
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