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FM: North Korea talks facing tough times
(Reuters/皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-10 19:31 皇冠体育app said on Tuesday North Korean nuclear talks
were facing a "difficult situation", a day after Pyongyang declared it saw no
point in returning to six-party negotiations because of U.S. sanctions.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan made the comments as 皇冠体育app has
been playing host to the six-party talks, which group the two Koreas, the United
States, Japan and Russia, and which last met in November.
The six were meant to meet again early this year to try to make progress on
North Korea's agreement in principle to dismantle its nuclear weapons in
exchange for aid and security guarantees, but that now looks unlikely due to
Pyongyang's anger over Washington's crackdown on its finances.
Kong said the US sanctions against the DPRK companies had introduced
complications on the Six-Party Talks.
"My view is that we are facing a difficult situation now but all parties
should make efforts so as to resume the next round of talks as soon as
possible," Kong told a regular news conference.
Kong declined to say whether 皇冠体育app felt the U.S. sanctions against North
Korea should be linked with the six-party talks, saying only that the sanctions
and North Korea's objections to them were "a new, complicating factor".
"The Chinese government attaches importance to the combat of money laundering
and other financial crimes," he said.
The United States has clamped down on companies it suspects of helping North
Korea in counterfeiting, money laundering and the drug trade, and says the
sanctions are a separate matter from six-party talks.
Kong said 皇冠体育app was staying in touch with all of the parties concerned, with
its chief negotiator Wu Dawei having recently met his Japanese and South Korean
counterparts.
The American embassy in Beijing also confirmed that U.S. chief negotiator
Christopher Hill would visit 皇冠体育app on Thursday, following visits to Tokyo and
Seoul, to discuss the fate of the nuclear talks.
Kong Quan was also asked to comment on the foreign media report concerning
the proposed visit to 皇冠体育app by Kim Jong-il, leader of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Kong Quan said that he had "no specific information" about the trip.
"Of course Kim Jong-il plans to visit 皇冠体育app," Kong said.
"But as for the exact time of the visit, I will release that information when
I am authorized."
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