China sends top envoy to the North
Published: 18 Sep. 2009, 02:34
As diplomatic efforts mount to persuade North Korea to return to the six-party nuclear disarmament talks, China’s presidential envoy met with Pyongyang’s top nuclear strategist, the North’s state media reported yesterday.
China’s State Councilor Dai Bingguo led a delegation that met with North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju on Wednesday, the North’s Korea Central News Agency reported. “Dai Bingguo, who is special envoy of [Chinese President] Hu Jintao, arrived in Pyongyang by plane, together with Wu Dawei, vice minister of foreign affairs, and Fu Ziying, vice minister of commerce,” the report said. KCNA said the Chinese delegates had a “candid and in-depth exchange of views” with the North Korean officials.
Kang has been the brains behind Pyongyang’s nuclear brinkmanship, and the Chinese delegation included Beijing’s top nuclear negotiator, Wu.
China’s Xinhua News Agency also reported on Wednesday’s meeting, noting that Dai and Kang “thoroughly exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern.”
While neither report specifically mentioned nuclear talks, “international issues of mutual concern” are believed to include Pyongyang’s nuclear arms program.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Congressional think tank presented a series of possible economic incentives that Washington could provide to Pyongyang in return for its giving up its nuclear program. In its latest update of the report, “North Korea: Economic Leverage and Policy Analysis,” the Congressional Research Service said Washington may be able to provide six major economic incentives to the North.
For one, the United States could lead efforts to create a special fund with the World Bank or the Asia Development Bank to support the North’s economic development in return for Pyongyang’s denuclearization, the report suggested.
The report also said the U.S. government will likely tie diplomatic knots with the North, sign a trade treaty, lift sanctions and allow the North to join the international financial institutions if Pyongyang abandons its nuclear programs. Energy and food aid and preferential tariffs on goods produced at the Kaesong Industrial Complex are also seen as possible incentives.
The report estimated that the North records about a $1 billion annual trade deficit.
As international efforts grow to resume nuclear negotiations, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday that the governments of South Korea and the United States are reviewing a plan to officially recognize the current North Korean regime led by Kim Jong-il and its continued existence in return for the North’s denuclearization.
Quoting multiple six-party sources, the newspaper said Seoul and Washington’s plan will approve Pyongyang’s demand for the end hostility toward its regime.
The newspaper said the issue is linked to the North Korean leadership’s key demand of security assurances, adding that Washington is mulling them over, including the assurance in the package of deals to be presented to the North in return for its complete, verifiable denuclearization.
Blue House officials concerned with North Korea issues were unavailable to comment on the report yesterday.
By Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]
China’s State Councilor Dai Bingguo led a delegation that met with North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju on Wednesday, the North’s Korea Central News Agency reported. “Dai Bingguo, who is special envoy of [Chinese President] Hu Jintao, arrived in Pyongyang by plane, together with Wu Dawei, vice minister of foreign affairs, and Fu Ziying, vice minister of commerce,” the report said. KCNA said the Chinese delegates had a “candid and in-depth exchange of views” with the North Korean officials.
Kang has been the brains behind Pyongyang’s nuclear brinkmanship, and the Chinese delegation included Beijing’s top nuclear negotiator, Wu.
China’s Xinhua News Agency also reported on Wednesday’s meeting, noting that Dai and Kang “thoroughly exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern.”
While neither report specifically mentioned nuclear talks, “international issues of mutual concern” are believed to include Pyongyang’s nuclear arms program.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Congressional think tank presented a series of possible economic incentives that Washington could provide to Pyongyang in return for its giving up its nuclear program. In its latest update of the report, “North Korea: Economic Leverage and Policy Analysis,” the Congressional Research Service said Washington may be able to provide six major economic incentives to the North.
For one, the United States could lead efforts to create a special fund with the World Bank or the Asia Development Bank to support the North’s economic development in return for Pyongyang’s denuclearization, the report suggested.
The report also said the U.S. government will likely tie diplomatic knots with the North, sign a trade treaty, lift sanctions and allow the North to join the international financial institutions if Pyongyang abandons its nuclear programs. Energy and food aid and preferential tariffs on goods produced at the Kaesong Industrial Complex are also seen as possible incentives.
The report estimated that the North records about a $1 billion annual trade deficit.
As international efforts grow to resume nuclear negotiations, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday that the governments of South Korea and the United States are reviewing a plan to officially recognize the current North Korean regime led by Kim Jong-il and its continued existence in return for the North’s denuclearization.
Quoting multiple six-party sources, the newspaper said Seoul and Washington’s plan will approve Pyongyang’s demand for the end hostility toward its regime.
The newspaper said the issue is linked to the North Korean leadership’s key demand of security assurances, adding that Washington is mulling them over, including the assurance in the package of deals to be presented to the North in return for its complete, verifiable denuclearization.
Blue House officials concerned with North Korea issues were unavailable to comment on the report yesterday.
By Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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