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.