Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) held talks in North Korea yesterday at the start of a top-level visit likely to test Pyongyang’s willingness to return to nuclear disarmament talks it quit earlier this year.
Television footage showed North Korean President Kim Jong-il making a rare airport appearance to host a red-carpet welcome for Wen, in an apparent sign of Pyongyang’s eagerness to improve ties with its closest diplomatic and economic ally.
Kim, wearing his trademark boiler suit, hugged and shook hands with Wen, the most senior Chinese figure to visit North Korea since Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in 2005. A guard of honor was mounted and women waving Chinese flags greeted the visitors.
PHOTO: AFP
Kim’s visit to Sunan International Airport was the latest in a series of public appearances following his recovery from an apparent stroke in August last year. Wen is accompanied on his three-day visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) and Wu Dawei (武大偉), China’s envoy to the stalled six-nation disarmament talks, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
China has framed the high-level visit as a “goodwill” trip to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, but analysts said nuclear issues would be high on the agenda.
Pyongyang strained ties with Beijing when it staged its second nuclear test in May, after quitting the six-party talks hosted by China the previous month. China supported tougher UN sanctions imposed in response to the test.
Since August the North has made peace overtures to the US and South Korea, which are also involved in the talks along with Japan and Russia.
The North is pressing for bilateral talks with the US to end the nuclear standoff. But last month Kim appeared to leave the door open for a return to the six-party forum, telling a visiting Chinese envoy his country was willing to engage in bilateral and multilateral talks.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency has said Kim could make an “important announcement” during Wen’s visit. The agency said he was expected to state his willingness to give up nuclear weapons and make detailed suggestions.
It said the leader would likely also deliver his clear position on whether he wants six-party talks or a different form of dialogue.
Wen held talks with North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il yesterday afternoon, Xinhua reported, adding that officials from the two sides signed a series of agreements on cooperation.
Yonhap said Wen and Kim Jong-il were to hold talks today.
“China is expected to pledge a package of economic assistance. In return, Kim will have to express his clear position on nuclear disarmament,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University.
“Kim is certain to give a clearer pledge about denuclearization, leaving the door open for its return to six-party talks,” he said.
“Yet North Korea may not return to six-party talks soon as it wants bilateral talks with Washington” Koh said. “It is hard to predict the direction of the North’s diplomacy right now but it may try to use its participation in the six-party forum as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Washington.”
US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said last week Wen’s trip would send the North a “strong message” that it should come back to the talks.
Washington is expected to await the outcome of Wen’s visit before announcing whether it will send its envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, to Pyongyang.
The North’s official media has hailed Wen’s trip.
It will “open a new chapter in the history of the friendship” with Beijing, Rodong Sinmun said.
But on nuclear issues the North has been staking out a tough position — saying it must keep its nuclear deterrent in the face of what it terms US nuclear threats.
“Giving up nuclear weapons cannot be considered even in a dream as long as the fundamental reasons which have forced us to possess nuclear weapons exist,” a foreign ministry spokesman said last week.
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