 Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Sunday the six party talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions were the only realistic way to resolve the "complex" issue and urged all parties to consider Pyongyang's concerns. "China pursues the objective of a nuclear-weapons-free, peaceful and stable Korean peninsula. At the same time we also believe the legitimate concerns of the DPRK (North Korea) should be addressed," Li told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress. "The six party talks present a realistic choice for the resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula through dialogue and should be continued."
| China just again refused to help the NKors get bilateral talks with us. Good. |
Without naming names, he urged both North Korea and the United States to maintain flexibility and patience and work for the resumption of the talks. China Saturday appeared to launch a low-intensity drive to get the United States to talk directly to North Korea, with officials urging Washington to hold the talks within the six party framework. "To restart negotiations and make progress, I hope Washington agrees to hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang," Yang Xiyu, director of the Office for the Korean Peninsula Issue under the Chinese foreign ministry, told the China Daily.
| That was from the other side of their mouth. |
However, the United States has ruled out bilateral negotiations for the foreseeable future, and even North Korea has indicated recently it is less than keen. Last month, North Korea said there was "no justification" for undertaking "bilateral one-to-one talks on the nuclear issue with the United States." |