Nuclear dispute just between U.S. and N. Korea: China

Nuclear dispute just between U.S. and N. Korea: China

Jae-suk Yoo, Associated Press, Seoul

The Chinese ambassador in Seoul said that the nuclear dispute on
the Korean Peninsula should be solved primarily by the United
States and North Korea, and that Beijing doesn't want to play an
active mediating role.

Li Bin's remarks aired on South Korea's MBC Radio on Friday
came as U.S., North Korean and Chinese officials planned to meet
in Beijing as early as next week to try to end the dispute over
the North's alleged nuclear weapons programs.

"I don't think China plans to mediate," Li told MBC. "Although
China can play a constructive role, it is the two parties
concerned that should resolve the problem. How much the problem
could be resolved is up to how the two parties work."

Li's interview was recorded on Thursday.

U.S. and South Korean officials have said that China, a key
ally of North Korea, will be a full participant in the
forthcoming talks. But China's role in the talks remained
unclear.

Beijing had previously supported Pyongyang's demands for one-
on-one talks with Washington. Pyongyang shifted its stance last
week and agreed to allow China at the negotiating table.

China's involvement has been regarded as a diplomatic victory
for Washington because Beijing had been reluctant to get
involved.

Washington insists on tackling the nuclear issue -- which it
says is a global dispute -- through a multilateral format. It
wants to expand future talks to include South Korea, Japan and
Russia.

However, Chinese diplomats have repeatedly delayed the
discussion of the crisis in the United Nations Security Council.
Last week, after agreeing to discuss the topic in the council,
China blocked a motion by Washington to condemn North Korea.

Also Friday, South Korea welcomed the planned Beijing talks
and urged North Korea to resume inter-Korean dialog.

North Korea canceled a series of talks with South Korea
scheduled for last month and early this month, amid tensions over
the nuclear standoff.

The South had hoped to use the bilateral talks to discuss
reconciliation and persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear
ambitions in return for aid and better ties with the outside
world.

"We urge North Korea to come to inter-Korean dialog as soon as
possible to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula and other
issues," Seoul's Unification Ministry said in a statement.

In a message on Thursday, the impoverished North asked for
shipments of rice and fertilizer from its prosperous neighbor.
South Korea usually demands that North Korea make such a request
in an official meeting.

South Korea provided North Korea with 400,000 tons of rice and
300,000 tons of fertilizer last year. The North suffers severe
food shortages.