BEIJING (AP) - China has told the United States it will push for a new round of six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear standoff and would be in contact with Pyongyang and other countries involved, the government said Sunday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday night and told her Beijing stands firm in supporting a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, the ministry said in a statement. ``China will stay in touch with all relevant parties ... so that the six-party talks could be resumed as soon as possible,'' Li told Rice, according to the ministry.
| "We try to curb our dog but he is so ... difficult," he noted. |
Beijing has hosted three rounds of six-nation talks - which also involve South Korea, Japan and Russia - since the nuclear dispute flared in late 2002.
The North confirmed on Thursday that it has nuclear weapons and said it would stay away from the six-nation talks until Washington changes its ``hostile'' policy toward the country. Pyongyang also demanded one-on-one talks with Washington, but the White House insisted discussions remain within the six-party framework.
China's statement did not specify what exactly Beijing would do to promote a new round of talks. China has thus far resisted U.S. appeals to pressure its reclusive ally, but analysts say the escalating nuclear standoff could spur Beijing to use its leverage to force Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. |