Diplomats from the United States, North Korea and four other nations began low-level talks Monday on the North's nuclear program, amid warnings by host China against hoping for any major breakthrough. The two days of so-called "working-level" talks are meant to help create an agenda for a third round of high-level talks due to start Wednesday. In addition to China, other participants include South Korea, Japan and Russia. "The expectations for these negotiations should be rational and realistic," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said last week. "In the process of settling this huge issue, difficulties and challenges still lie ahead."
| He's expecting rational and realistic from North Korea? Either he's a goof or he's a better diplomat than I thought. |
At the heart of the dispute are two countries that do not trust each other. China, the North's last major ally, has tried to draw its isolated dictatorship back to the international mainstream. Beijing says just getting North Korea to join the talks is a small victory. "We hope these negotiations can build on the achievement of previous talks and have more in-depth discussions on substantive issues ... and narrow down differences," Zhang told reporters last week.
| "We will settle the shape of the table later, once we've decided upon the color of the tablecloth." |
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