China is not using its political and economic muscle to pressure North Korea to re-enter multilateral negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear weapons drive, US President George W. Bush's chief negotiator to the talks said Tuesday.
Christopher Hill, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, also said that the US and China were split over North Korea's alleged role as a nuclear proliferator and the prospect of its illicit atomic weapons falling into terrorist hands.
Hill gave a presentation titled "Dealing with North Korea's Nuclear Programs" at a hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
PHOTO: AP
Replying to remarks by panel chairman Senator Dick Lugar, Hill said: "I agree with you that China has been reluctant to use the full range of leverage that we believe China has.
"China has had North Korea as a close friend and ally for some 50 years now, and China has very close political connections, very close personal connections with the leadership, very close economic connections.
"And our request to China is to do what it has to do in order to bring them to the table," said Hill, the US leader to negotiations among the two Koreas, US, Japan, Russia and China.
North Korea has refused to participate in the nuclear talks after attending three rounds hosted by China, citing US "hostility." It has also rejected a US-led aid-for-disarmament plan and has instead been boasting about its nuclear prowess.
Hill said the US was not going to dictate terms with China on how to deal with North Korea.
China and South Korea have reportedly opposed US moves to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear arms, rejecting calls for sanctions or ceasing crucial economic aid, but Hill said they were united in wanting to disarm Pyongyang of its atomic weapons.
"We're not going to tell them [China] whether they need to use economic leverage on their neighbor. But we're going to expect that, as the host to the process, that they figure out a way to get everyone to the table," he said.
"While there are differences on tactics, where the Chinese are reluctant to use pressure and, Mr. Chairman, as you said, the South Koreans are also reluctant to use that type of direct pressure, I want to emphasize there's absolutely no daylight between us on the issue of disarming North Korea," he added.
Democratic Senator Barack Obama asked Hill if China could still be a "sufficient leverage point" in getting the hardline Stalinist state back to the six-party talks or whether the US needed to work through other channels.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS