China's state think tank to hold seminar on N. Korea

By Kim Young-gyo
HONG KONG, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- China's state think tank will hold an academic seminar on North Korea later this month, sources said Friday, a move seen as reiterating Beijing's call to resume talks to denuclearize the reclusive country.
According to sources, the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank under China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plans to organize the seminar on Sept. 19 in Beijing.
The institute has been seeking to invite the chief envoy of each country participating in the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs in exchange for economic aid. The talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
China's top nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, is expected to take part in the seminar, the sources said.
It is not clear, as of yet, whether other countries' representatives will accept the invitation.
The institute has also invited experts on nuclear issues from Australia, Singapore and Indonesia.
The six-party talks have been dormant since late 2008. Since late July, however, South Korea and the U.S. have been engaged in preliminary talks with North Korea to gauge the possibility of resuming the multilateral forum.
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac left Wednesday for the U.S., after North Korea reportedly promised to impose a moratorium on nuclear testing if the six-party talks resume.
South Korea and the U.S. have urged the North to demonstrate its seriousness about denuclearizing through actions, not words, before the six-party talks can take place.
Meanwhile, China has been calling relevant parties to restart the long-stalled six-party talks as early as possible.