News / Asia

China Quiet One Day After Proposing Talks on Korea Tensions

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, left, shakes hand with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo during their meeting at the presidential house in Seoul, South Korea, 28 Nov 2010.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, left, shakes hand with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo during their meeting at the presidential house in Seoul, South Korea, 28 Nov 2010.
TEXT SIZE - +

There has been no clear decision on China's proposal for new talks to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Leaders met with several partners on how to best calm the situation following a North Korean attack on a South Korean community.

A day after China proposed multi-nation talks, its negotiating partners are still mulling the idea.

The South Korean government responded coolly to the Chinese proposal.

Rob Raines, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said Washington has not yet made a decision.

"The U.S. government is consulting with the Republic of Korea, Japan and our other partners. The six party talks cannot substitute for action by North Korea to comply with its obligations, " Raines said.

China wants to bring together the six countries that are already engaged in talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons programs - the United States, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

China said the emergency session would focus on the current crisis brought about after North Korea fired on a South Korean island last week, and Seoul's forces fired back.

The embassy spokesman urged North Korea to fully abide by the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. He also called on Pyongyang to comply with past agreements that promised aid to North Korea if it abandoned its nuclear weapons programs.

"Clear steps are needed by North Korea to demonstrate a change in its behavior," raines said.

The comments come as the U.S. and South Korea hold joint military exercises in the waters off South Korea. North Korea calls the exercises a sign of aggression.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment Monday about other countries' lack of enthusiasm toward its proposal for talks.

Pang Zhongying, an international relations professor at Renmin University, said he suspects China already knew South Korea would not agree to the suggestion.

Pang thinks by making the proposal publicly, China is helping South Korea.  He thinks South Korea wants to "make a U-turn," but cannot yet because too little time has passed since last week's incident.

He added that a multi-nation meeting could also be good for China's relationship with the United States.

Pang said if the meeting could happen soon, before Chinese President Hu Jintao goes to the United States in January, it would show good Sino-American cooperation.

China called for the meeting to take place in early December, but Pang thinks that may be too soon.

South Korea and the United States have long urged Beijing to do more to rein in its ally, North Korea. China's leaders, however, said they have done all they could to encourage Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and that other nations must do more to calm tensions.

Many regional political analysts say Beijing is reluctant to push too hard on its impoverished neighbor, to avoid destabilizing the government and causing a massive flow of refugees.

You May Like

Experts Weigh In on Challenges of Closing Guantanamo Prison

Former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo delivers petition to White House with more than 370,000 signatures, demanding facility be closed down immediately More

Karzai to Discuss Enhancing Defense Ties with India

Afghanistan looking for more military aid as it prepares for withdrawal of NATO forces by next year More

India, China Pledge to Overcome Border Tensions

Indian prime minister and Chinese premier attempt to move past tense standoff in the Himalayas during Delhi talks More

Burmese President Opens US Visit with VOA Town Hall Meeting

Ahead of his meeting with President Obama Monday, Thein Sein answered questions on human rights and economic development in his country More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video US Oil Surge Could Impact Mideast Geopolitics

The United States will account for a third of new oil supplies over the next five years, and will become energy self-sufficient in 20 years, according to a new report by the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA). Although U.S. oil imports from Arab Gulf countries increased last year, analysts predict the U.S. will lose its dependence on Middle East imports, which is expected to have a huge impact on international relations and the balance of power. VOA's Henry Ridgewell reports.