China Proposes Unofficial 6-Way Talks

China was reported yesterday to have suggested holding an unofficial meeting of chief delegates from parties to the six-party talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis in Shenyang, China later this month.

According to foreign and domestic diplomatic sources, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei invited ambassadors from six-party talks countries South Korea, North Korea, the United States, Japan and Russia, and made the proposal on June 28.

It is said that Beijing explained to Pyongyang about the possibility of U.S.-DPRK bilateral talks within the frame of the six way talks for a diplomatic resolution of U.S. economic sanctions on the communist country.

A South Korean government official said that Pyongyang had stuck to its stance that recovering its frozen assets under the sanctions regime should come before returning to the negotiating table, and that it showed no sign of change. However, Chinese diplomatic sources said that the opening of the unofficial meeting is highly likely.

China, the host of the talks on resolving North Korea’s nuclear issues, picked Shenyang as the venue for the meeting since Shenyang is one of the two cities in China that has diplomatic establishments of all of the six countries with Beijing.

Jong-Dae Ha Myoung-Gun Lee orionha@donga.com gun43@donga.com