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.