A Russian diplomat proposing a plan to resolve North Korea's confrontation with the US met Northern leader Kim Jong-il for six hours yesterday and declared the talks "successful," a news report said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov was quoted by Russian news agency ITAR-Tass as saying that the "talks had been very substantive." The diplomat did not immediately elaborate.
Losyukov presented Russia's package solution to the conflict to the North Korean leader, and the report quoted Losyukov as saying that Kim was expected to give his answer yesterday. The atmosphere of the talks was "very warm," Losyukov said.
The Russian plan consists of three parts: nuclear-free status for the Korean Peninsula, security guarantees for North Korea and a package of humanitarian and economic aid.
The North's state-run news agency, KCNA, reported that Losyukov met Jo Myong-rok, the vice marshal of the Korean People's Army, and other military officials.
The reports included no further details, but the meetings could represent an advance for diplomatic efforts to defuse Pyongyang's standoff with the US over its nuclear weapons development.
The US pushed efforts yesterday to have the UN Security Council take up the dispute with North Korea. An American envoy in Bei-jing said Chinese officials appeared willing to go along with the plan. China is one of North Korea's few remaining allies.
"I do not detect any substantial opposition to bringing the matter into the council," said John Bolton, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. He spoke to reporters after meeting with Chinese officials all day.
The council could deepen North Korea's economic problems with international sanctions.
South Korea pledged yesterday to use separate rounds of talks with North Korea this week to push for a negotiated solution. The talks include Cabinet-level meetings in Seoul and Red Cross discussions in the North.
North Korea, through KCNA, demanded a "legal document" yesterday from the US guaranteeing that Washington would not attack.
A US official has suggested the US could provide some sort of written guarantee that it has no military intentions in North Korea, but Washington has refused to negotiate a treaty with Pyongyang.
The same dispatch also dis-missed as a "hypocritical farce" recent US proposals to talk with the North if it gives up its nuclear program. Pyongyang wants such talks to be without conditions.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from