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Envoy Says North Korea Open to Dialogue North Korea Envoy Agrees to Dialogue, China Says, in Possible Sign for Nuclear Talks
(about 9 hours later)
BEIJING — A North Korean envoy, Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, said the North would “accept the proposal” by China to “open up dialogue,” the China News Service reported Thursday. BEIJING — A North Korean envoy visiting China said his country would “accept the proposal” by Chinese officials to open up dialogue, the state-run China News Service reported Thursday, a possible signal that the North would agree to talks on its nuclear program.
The comments were reported after Marshal Choe met Liu Yunshan, a member of the Communist Party Standing Committee and the politician who heads ideological affairs for the Communist Party. The comments were reported after the envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, met Liu Yunshan, who is a member of the Communist Party Standing Committee in China and the politician who heads ideological affairs for the party. Mr. Liu was quoted as repeating a frequent appeal by China for a resumption of talks that would result in the removal of nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula “as soon as possible.”
Mr. Liu was quoted as saying that China wanted a resumption of talks that would result in the removal of nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula “as soon as possible.” Chinese officials frequently make such appeals. Few diplomats believe that the North is prepared to be involved in so-called six-party talks that aim to strip it of its nuclear weapons. The international six-party talks on the North’s nuclear program — involving the United States, North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia — collapsed in 2008 after North Korea walked out. Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed an interest in talks of some nature with North Korea.
Marshal Choe, who arrived in China, North Korea’s biggest benefactor, on Wednesday on a fence-mending mission, is a close aide to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and as such, what he says is taken relatively seriously. China is North Korea’s biggest benefactor, but relations have been strained in recent months. Experts say that the North bridles at China’s insistence on paying low prices for its iron ore, and that Chinese officials are annoyed by the North’s defiance of entreaties to refrain from missile and nuclear tests.
Few diplomats believe that the North is prepared to be involved in six-party talks that aim to strip North Korea of its nuclear weapons. The talks — involving the United States, North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia — collapsed in 2008 after North Korea walked out. The North has continued its nuclear weapons program, conducting its third nuclear test in February, which prompted China to sign on to United Nations sanctions. It also tested a three-stage rocket in December. The visit by Vice Marshal Choe, a close aide to the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, was seen by many analysts as a fence-mending mission.
Marshal Choe, 72, was quoted by the China News Service as being “highly” appreciative of “China’s huge efforts to maintain peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula. Vice Marshal Choe was quoted by the China News Service as being “highly” appreciative of “China’s huge efforts to maintain peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula.
There have been no reports so far of Marshal Choe meeting with senior Chinese officials involved in foreign policy and military affairs. The publicized meetings have been with senior officials of the Communist Party who are the usual interlocutors with North Korea. On Wednesday, Marshal Choe met with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China. There have been no reports so far on whether Vice Marshal Choe has met with senior Chinese officials involved in foreign policy and military affairs.
The North Korean news agency said Marshal Choe visited an industrial park in Beijing on Thursday. China’s basic advice to North Korea is that it should reform its economy following the path of Deng Xiaoping, with special economic zones and some private enterprise. The publicized meetings have been with senior officials of the Communist Party who are the usual interlocutors with North Korea. On Wednesday, Vice Marshal Choe met with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
North Korean experts in China say they detect little change in China’s underlying policy of supporting North Korea. But the Chinese leadership would like North Korea to modify its erratic behavior, stop nuclear tests and halt its missile program, they say. How to reach that goal with Mr. Kim had not been resolved, some of the experts said. The North Korean news agency said Vice Marshal Choe visited an industrial park in Beijing on Thursday. China’s basic advice to North Korea has been that it should overhaul its economy following the path of Deng Xiaoping, with special economic zones and some private enterprise.
The marshal’s visit came just days after the announcement that President Xi Jingping of China and President Obama intended to meet in California next month, suggesting that the North was concerned that its strategy had pushed China and the United States closer. Although North Korea has sometimes embarked on such reforms, the government has then pulled back, perhaps for fear of losing control in one of the world’s most tightly controlled countries.
Wang Gunsheng, an analyst at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the visit of Marshal Choe could be interpreted as a “kind of apology” by North Korea for its recent behavior. North Korean experts in China say they detect little change in China’s underlying policy of supporting North Korea. But the Chinese leadership would like North Korea to modify its erratic behavior, stop nuclear tests and halt its missile program, they say. How to reach that goal with Mr. Kim has not been resolved, some of the analysts said.
The vice marshal’s visit came just days after the announcement that President Xi Jinping of China and President Obama intended to meet in California next month, suggesting that the North was concerned that its recent actions had pushed China and the United States closer.
Wang Junsheng, an analyst at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the visit of Marshal Choe could be interpreted as a “kind of apology” by North Korea for its recent behavior.