The United States and China signaled Friday that agreement may
be reached soon on convening a new round of six-party talks on
North Korea's nuclear program.
The optimism about convening a new round 10 weeks after the
initial discussions emerged after a meeting between Secretary of
State Colin Powell and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
"Preparations for a new round of six-party talks at Beijing have
started," Wang told reporters after the hour-long meeting, speaking
through a translator.
Later, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Powell
"is encouraged at the prospect of new talks, encouraged at the
possibilities of pursuing this route to reach a peaceful resolution
of the problems created by North Korea's nuclear weapons
programs."
Wang went to the U.S. capital after discussing future steps with
North Korean officials in Pyongyang. During his visit, he met with
Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and with Pentagon
officials, besides Powell.
In late August, China convened a groundbreaking meeting
involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia. The
talks ended inconclusively.
Boucher said that at the next round, the United States will seek
progress toward its goal of "ending North Korea's nuclear weapons
programs, which have caused so much difficulty and
consternation."
Last month, at the summit meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in
Bangkok, U.S. President Bush said he was prepared to offer North
Korea written security assurances in exchange for the dismantling
of the country's nuclear weapons.
After that statement, North Korea began showing more interest
than it had before in returning to the bargaining table.
U.S. officials have been debating the timing of the security
assurances, with some arguing that none should be offered until
after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs and others
advocating an offer earlier in the process.
Boucher acknowledged that issue remains undecided. He said the
administration recognizes that the assurance would be given "in the
context of reaching the goal of ending North Korea's nuclear
weapons programs.
"How that process would be coordinated would be something that
would have to be worked out," he said.
(China Daily November 9, 2003)