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China steps up efforts to get N Korea, US to negotiating table
Beijing, July 17: China today stepped up efforts to urge the US to revert to a 1994 agreed framework with North Korea by sending its special envoy to Washington to break the impasse on Pyongyang`s suspected nuclear weapons programme.
Beijing, July 17: China today stepped up efforts to urge the US to revert to a 1994 agreed framework with North Korea by sending its special envoy to Washington to break the
impasse on Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons programme.
"China hopes that various parties can stick to the direction of a peaceful settlement and continue the process of Beijing talks," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan
told reporters here.
Kong announced that Chinese executive vice foreign minister Dai Bingguo, who held talks with several North Korean leaders in Pyongyang last week, had left for Washington, to try bring both US and North Korea to the next round of 'Beijing talks.' "We maintain that peace and stability of the peninsula must be ensured and the peninsula must be nuclear free. We firmly believe that the nuclear question should be solved peacefully and the rational security concerns of North Korea should be addressed," Kong said.
Under the 1994 agreed framework, US with its allies agreed to supply North Korea with 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil annually, and two light water nuclear reactors if Pyongyang shut down its heavy water nuclear reactor and shelved plans to build an atomic bomb. Kong stressed that China's main goal was to get the two sides talking again by bringing them back to the negotiating table.
Dai's visit comes after long telephonic conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, he said.
Bureau Report
Kong announced that Chinese executive vice foreign minister Dai Bingguo, who held talks with several North Korean leaders in Pyongyang last week, had left for Washington, to try bring both US and North Korea to the next round of 'Beijing talks.' "We maintain that peace and stability of the peninsula must be ensured and the peninsula must be nuclear free. We firmly believe that the nuclear question should be solved peacefully and the rational security concerns of North Korea should be addressed," Kong said.
Under the 1994 agreed framework, US with its allies agreed to supply North Korea with 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil annually, and two light water nuclear reactors if Pyongyang shut down its heavy water nuclear reactor and shelved plans to build an atomic bomb. Kong stressed that China's main goal was to get the two sides talking again by bringing them back to the negotiating table.
Dai's visit comes after long telephonic conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, he said.
Bureau Report