Eight nations will meet today to discuss regional security issues as an alternative to formal talks on North Korea, but the communist nation -- the region's key threat -- won't attend.
The participants include the five nations engaged in negotiations with North Korea -- the US, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia -- plus Australia, Malaysia and Canada, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu (
"The eight countries will exchange views on regional issues that they are concerned about," she said, adding that they would be represented by the foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill also separately confirmed the eight-party talks.
North Korea has refused to attend formal six-party talks that many had hoped would be revived on the sidelines of the ASEAN annual security meet, the ASEAN Regional Forum scheduled for today.
Jiang refused to go into details of what would be discussed, saying Malaysia as the host will set the agenda.
She expressed the hope that North Korea would attend.
"We hope the North Koreans can come and sit down together with us," she said.
North Korea has boycotted the talks since November to protest a US crackdown on its alleged financial wrongdoing.
Pyongyang is demanding that the US lift the financial restrictions against it before rejoining the six-party dialogue.
The wider regional meeting was intended as a compromise to give Pyongyang a face-saving way to return to the negotiating table while technically maintaining its boycott of the six-party talks.
The US and the others had suggested holding five-party talks without North Korea, if it continued its boycott. But China opposed, saying it would not meet behind North Korea's back.
The eight-party dialogue under the guise of discussing regional issues also took care of China's objections.
Jiang deflected repeated questions on whether the North Korean issue would be discussed, saying it would be up to the foreign ministers.
"Everyone can express their views about regional issues, chat a while and discuss a bit," she said.
The group will issue a statement, but take no questions, after the session.
Hill said the idea was to have a general discussion about what can be done to improve security structures in Northeast Asia.
If North Korea comes back to that dialogue, "we are prepared to have as many bilateral meetings as they can stand," Hill said.
"We have zero plans to meet with the North Koreans" at the conference, he said.
"We do not have any intention of engaging them bilaterally until they are back in the diplomatic game," Hill said.
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