China's role vital in arranging five-way meeting: official

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- China holds the key to an envisioned meeting between
North Korea's five dialogue partners, which seek to bring the communist state
back to stalled disarmament talks, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said
Thursday.
South Korea has proposed a temporary session with the U.S., China, Russia and
Japan in a bid to show unity among the regional powers and boost to efforts to
coax the North into rejoining the Beijing-based negotiations.
If the five nations agree to hold a separate meeting, China must take the
initiative in deciding details such as timing and venue, Wi Sung-lac said.
"As China is the chair country of the six-party talks, its position is
important," Wi told reporters after returning from Moscow, where he held
consultations with his Russian counterpart, Alexei Borodavkin.
Wi said the discussions in Moscow focused on ways to implement the U.N. Security
Council's latest decision to punish North Korea for its second nuclear test in
May, as well as how to resume dialogue with the communist nation.
He said Russia supports the idea of holding a five-way gathering, adding it is
not an alternative to the six-way talks but a kind of preliminary consultation to
resume the six-nation process.
Both the U.S. and Japan have a "similar stance" on the planned five-party event,
Wi said.
Asked about China's position, Wi said, "Various consultations are under way. So I
would like to ask you to wait."
China has maintained diplomatic ambiguity on the issue.
"The Chinese government believes the six-party talks are the best way to realize
the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Qin Gang said in a press briefing Tuesday when asked about Beijing's position.
China is willing to keep maintain communication and coordination with the
involved parties, he added.
Wi also said he talked with the Russian official about the Kang Nam, a North
Korean cargo ship that is believed to be carrying illicit weapons to Myanmar.
The U.S. navy has been tracking the 2,000-ton vessel. It left North Korea's
western port of Nampo last Wednesday, and may be the first test of how the U.S.
and other nations will implement a new U.N. Security Council resolution banning
the reclusive nation from trading nuclear and conventional weaponry.
The resolution requires all U.N. member states to bar the provision of fuel or
supplies to North Korean vessels if there are "reasonable grounds" to believe
they are carrying contraband items.
Wi said he and Borodavkin discussed the North Korean vessel generally with regard
to the implementation of the U.N. resolution.
While foreign media have carried a number of reports on the Kang Nam citing
anonymous U.S. officials, South Korean government officials have been guarded
about details of the matter.
"The U.S. seems to be sending warning messages to North Korea that it is closely
monitoring all its suspected activity," a senior foreign ministry official said.
"The U.S. move itself could put the North Koreans under psychological pressure."
lcd@yna.co.kr
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