Reuters reported that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned that South Korea takes a more careful stance on North Korea than China. Prior to her trip to Asian countries, it was expected that China would take an uncooperative stance on North Korea. It was also stated that Condoleezza Rice did not get satisfactory confirmation from China during her meeting with Chinese officials. However, after the meeting with Rice, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said, “My trip to North Korea this week was not in vain.” Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tang said that he and Rice agreed that success of the nuclear six-party talks would strengthen cooperation between the United States and China.

It was unveiled that North Korean leader Kim Jung Il promised not to conduct additional nuclear tests at the meeting with Chinese special envoy Tang Jiaxuan. Some experts believe that important information was exchanged during the meeting between Condoleezza and Tang, making it a dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. After meeting with the Chinese foreign minister, Rice indirectly urged China to impose sanctions on North Korea more aggressively, saying that China has already concurred with comprehensive implementation of UN sanctions on North Korea. Washington takes the stance that UN sanctions are now very effective because China, the most powerfully influential nation on North Korea, has now successfully conducted UN sanctions on North Korea.

Rice and Tang strongly urged North Korea to halt dangerous behavior. Rice pressed North Korea, urging that it should return to the six-party talks without conditions. The two top diplomats concurred with restoring the stalled six-party talks. Tang did not comment on a message to Washington that he got from North Korean leader Kim Jung Il during his trip to Pyongyang. Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing only said that the two sides had benefited from better "mutual understanding" and that the prospect of resuming the stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program had been discussed.

입력시간: 2006. 10.24. 08:55