Amidst rising nuclear tension on the Korean peninsula and the adoption of UN sanctions on North Korea, China dispatched special nuclear envoy Tang Jiaxuan, of Chinese President Hu JIntao, yesterday. It is forecast that he will deliver the voice of the international community and its worries, including Washington’s strong stance, during his visit to Pyongyang. He earlier visited the United States and Russia as the president's special envoy.

Prior to the adoption of the UN sanctions on North Korea, the Tang visited US President Bush and discussed possible and reasonable resolutions on North Korea. “North Korea can have time making sense of what the international community considers and Washington’s position regarding North Korea’s provocative nuclear test. The Chinese official, therefore, is the person who can deliver the real voice of Washington to the communism regime.” In a statement from a spokesman from the North Korean foreign ministry, Pyongyang said, “From now on, we will take a close look at Washington and take following steps.”

Some experts forecast that there may be a possibility of indirect talks between Washington and Pyongyang by means of China. A domestic diplomatic source said, “I think it is the best time for China to dispatch its special envoy to North Korea. Because Mr. Tang already visited Washington and Moscow, he could deliver live voices of the two countries. US Secretary of State Rice is scheduled to visit Beijing after her visit to Korea.

However, there is another assertion that the main purpose of Tang's visit to Pyongyang is to persuade North Korea not to conduct its second nuclear test. “Amidst speculation of North Korea’s second test, Mr. Tang visited Pyongyang. Why? Because China wants to prevent this tense situation getting worse,” an unknown source claimed.

China has opposed and condemned North Korea's nuclear tests and supported the U.N. sanctions, but it has also claimed that the nuclear issue must be resolved in a cool-headed manner.

입력시간: 2006. 10.20. 08:39