U.S. urged to be more flexible on N. Korea

U.S. urged to be more flexible on N. Korea

Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters, Beijing

China, indicating growing frustration with Washington at the lack
of progress in resolving North Korea's nuclear crisis, has urged
the United States to be more flexible in the next round of talks.

North Korea threatened on Monday to add to its nuclear arsenal
if six-nation talks on the crisis were delayed, saying Washington
was "wasting time" by rejecting Pyongyang's offer to freeze its
nuclear arms program.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing delivered Beijing's
message to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell from Ethiopia
where he is traveling with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the
official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

"Li briefed Powell on China's stand and expressed hope for the
U.S. side to take a more flexible and practical attitude in
preparation for the next round of six-party talks," Xinhua said
in a report from Addis Ababa.

Analysts said the appeal was a sign of Beijing's frustration
over a lack of headway in resolving the crisis after it first
hosted three-way talks, then six-way talks in August and is now
trying to set up the next round.

China's pressure on Washington comes only days after getting
strong backing from U.S. President George W. Bush on Taiwan.
Bush, trying to ease tensions between China and Taiwan, bluntly
warned the island against upsetting the status quo with its plans
for a referendum about Chinese missiles pointed at the island.

Bush prompted the latest warning from Pyonyang when he
rejected North Korea's demand for energy aid and other items in
exchange for a freeze on its suspected nuclear arms program.

Bush told Wen during the premier's visit to Washington last
week that the U.S goal was not a freeze but a full, verifiable
and irreversible dismantling of the program.
It was not the first time China has criticized the United States
over North Korea, but analysts said Li's remarks reflected
growing frustration with Washington over the crisis, which has
festered for more than a year.

"China asked the United States to be more flexible because
North Korea has shown flexibility, while the United States has
not," said Jin Canrong, who teaches international relations at
Renmin University.

"China and the United States have a consensus the second round
of talks should produce concrete results," Jin said.

Despite a flurry of shuttle diplomacy, expectations that North
Korea would join South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia
and China in talks on the nuclear crisis in December have given
way to plans to convene the meeting in January.

North Korea's ruling party newspaper criticized Washington on
Monday for rejecting the North's proposal for a "simultaneous
package solution" under which Pyongyang would freeze its nuclear
program in exchange for energy aid.

"Its delaying tactics would only result in compelling the DPRK
(North Korea) to steadily increase its nuclear deterrent force,"
the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a report published by the
official KCNA news agency.