China, Russia reject U.S. plan to punish N. Korea

China, Russia reject U.S. plan to punish N. Korea

SEOUL (Reuter): China and Russia yesterday opposed a U.S. plan to punish North Korea for the secrecy of its nuclear program while former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and Pyongyang's leaders addressed "misunderstandings" they said were at the heart of the matter.

Neither of North Korea's old communist allies said they would veto the measure in the UN Security Council.

The Russians said they had not been consulted about a draft resolution Washington prepared for the council that would phase in sanctions against North Korea for refusing to permit international inspections of its nuclear facilities.

The United States and its allies fear North Korea is making nuclear weapons.

Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev told reporters in Moscow the United States had failed to consult Russia about the document and this violated earlier agreements that had brought the two Cold War superpowers close to agreement.

Kozyrev had said earlier that Russia would support sanctions as a last resort.

"China in principle does not subscribe to the involvement of the Security Council in the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula or the resort to sanctions to solve it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang told reporters.

Shen repeatedly urged all parties in the dispute to negotiate and said there was too much bellicose talk surrounding the crisis.

There should be "less talk of war and more of specific ways of seeking a proper settlement", he said.

The tone of talks between Carter and North Korean President Kim Il-sung was decidedly moderate, with both speaking of "misunderstandings".

"What is important between us is trust, confidence, in each other," Kim told Carter at the Pyongyang presidential palace. Part of the meeting was broadcast on Cable News Network television.

"The meeting...is the starting point of the first confidence in each other," he said, adding that "misunderstandings" were to blame for mistrust.

Carter, who is acting as a private citizen, replied that the meeting was "an opportunity to address some of the misunderstandings and to try and overcome them."

"We've had a long discussion about the nuclear issue and other matters that are of interest between our two countries," Carter said after the meeting. "I think we have come to a much better understanding of the different points of view."

Later, Carter met North Korea's First Deputy Foreign Minister Kang Sok-chu, who has headed previous negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, CNN reported.

Phases of sanctions

Madeleine Albright, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Wednesday outlined two phases of sanctions she wants the UN Security Council to adopt.

The first half would not take effect for 30 days, giving North Korea time to cooperate with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its past diversion of nuclear fuel.

These sanctions include a mandatory arms embargo, a ban on all air traffic except for passenger flights, an end of development aid from all states and the United Nations and a ban on scientific and technical cooperation.

The draft also calls for curbs on North Korean participation in sporting, cultural, commercial and educational exchanges.

The second phase, which would require another resolution should North Korea violate IAEA regulations in the future, would impose a freeze on all financial transactions, including most remittances North Koreans in Japan send home. The money gives Pyongyang up to US$1.8 billion a year in hard currency.

U.S. officials also spoke of a further step if the crisis continued unabated, which could call for a total trade embargo, including oil, most of which comes from China.