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China will not force N. Korea to do anything
The United States has pressed China to use all of its "tools in the box" to bring North Korea back to negotiations on its nuclear arms program, a State Department official said.Can we then use all of our tools in the box??? PLEASSSSEEE???? But the official, who asked not to be named, stopped short of confirming reports that top US envoy Christopher Hill asked Beijing to cut off fuel to the North Koreans but was rebuffed by the Chinese. No oil for nukes! Washington has made no secret that it was counting largely on China to woo Pyongyang back to the stalled six-party nuclear talks that also include Japan, Russia and South Korea. "What we have done is ask the Chinese to think about the full sort of set of tools in the box that they can use to get the North Koreans to come back to the table," the State Department official said. "There are a lot of things that are out there that are possibilities," the official said. He did not elaborate. I can, and it rhymes with broom. He made his comments as North Korea again dashed hopes There were real hopes this would happen? for an early resumption of the negotiations that broke off last year, and fueled speculation it might be preparing for its first nuclear weapons test. The Washington Post reported Saturday that Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, asked China to cut its oil supply to North Korea to put added pressure on Pyongyang But China turned down the request because it would damage its oil Acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey would not comment on the Post report. But he added: "We've had a long-standing policy ... of encouraging the Chinese and others to use what influence they have on the North Koreans to bring them back to the six-party talks." Fat chance of that happening. China figures our attention is better focused on Korea rather than Tiawain. Asked whether that included offering carrots as well as sticks to the North Koreans, Casey said: "Influence, encourage, do what they can to get them back to the table. I think we've left the diplomacy on that up to them." The B2s in Guam are up to us. Duck and cover Kim. Posted by: mmurray821 2005-05-10 |
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