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U.S. Urges Chinese Action on North Korea
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill on Saturday said that China, in regards to North Korea’s nuclear program, needs to “take a little more responsibility for cleaning up that mess,” Reuters reported (see GSN, Nov. 18). Hill made his comments while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in South Korea. “We just finished a round last week, and we hope to get going in a few more weeks,” Hill said. “We have many options for dealing with this problem, but diplomacy is the best one. The one option we don't have is to walk away.” Hill said China had failed to stop North Korea from producing a nuclear weapon, and therefore Beijing should do more to end the situation. “I think it's time for the Chinese to take a little more responsibility for cleaning up that mess,” he said. Hill also said that details on how to implement a September nuclear disarmament agreement with North Korea are still being worked out. “North Korea is saying, we need you first to recognize us, first give us help, give us a lot of economic help, and then we'll think about getting rid of the weapons. But it’s going to be the other way around,” he said (Elaine Lies, Reuters, Nov. 19). Leaders meeting at the forum demanded “substantive progress” in talks over Pyongyang’s program, Agence France-Presse reported. Leaders from 21 nations agreed that while “positive steps” had been achieved in September, more action is needed after talks stalled earlier this month, according to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. “Moreover the leaders urged further substantive progress in the six-party talks and in particular the faithful implementation of the joint statement under the principle of commitment for commitment and action for action,” Roh said. “We hope that such progress will contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in this region” (Agence France-Presse, Nov. 19).
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