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China upbeat over `momentum' of talks with N Korea

China hopes that "good momentum" will be maintained in multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear program, Beijing's chief negotiator at recent six-way discussions on the topic said in Tokyo yesterday.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) was asked by reporters if he expected any provocative action by North Korea around the time of the Sept. 9 anniversary the nation's founding.

He replied: "No, we hope that each party wants to keep the good momentum and atmosphere for the next round of talks."

US officials have said North Korea threatened at the talks in Beijing last week to carry out a nuclear test, and diplomatic sources close to Pyongyang have previously said it might announce its intention to do so around the Sept. 9 anniversary.

Wang also said it was desirable to have another round of talks as soon as possible, but that consultations among the six participating countries were needed to determine the timing.

The Chinese officials were scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi later in the day.

Pyongyang, as is often the case, has been giving conflicting signals following the Beijing talks. It has said both that it wants to resolve the standoff through dialogue and that it saw no point in further talks and had no choice but to keep and enhance its nuclear deterrent.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday dismissed North Korea's alleged threat to test a nuclear bomb as truculence and said it would not help resolve the standoff with Pyongyang.

He also stressed that Washington was seeking a diplomatic solution to end Pyongyang's suspected nuclear arms programme and reiterated that the US had no intention of invading or attacking North Korea.

Talks among the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan in Beijing ended last week with no major breakthrough.
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