Fresh Hopes For North Korean Nuclear Talks
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AHN) - China on Wednesday breathed a new life in the stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear program as it revealed a six-nation dialog is tentatively set July 28. Chinese deputy foreign minister Wu Dawei told the Agance France Presse that six-way talks was provisionally scheduled on July 28 in Kuala Lumpur. China and South Korea were pushing a dialog with North Korea on the sidelines of the ASEAN regional security forum. Pyongyang has yet to respond and acknowledge if it will attend the meeting. Wu said, "The time currently being planned is the afternoon of the 28th, but it is still under negotiation. At the moment, all sides are still making efforts but whether it will happen or not, nobody can tell yet." Observers see China as the biggest influence on Pyongyang, despite the fact that it ignored Beijing's appeal earlier this month when it launched seven missiles off the Sea of Japan that enraged the international community. Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing met with his South Korean counterpart Ban Ki-Moon Tuesday and said they both agreed to encourage the resumption of the six-party talks. He adds, "We both feel that we should treasure the consensus reached at the six-party talks. That is, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and its peace and stability. That is the aim of our joint efforts." The emerging alliance |
