China, indicating growing frustration with Washington at the lack of progress in resolving North Korea's nuclear crisis, has urged the US to be more flexible in the next round of talks.
North Korea threatened on Monday to add to its nuclear arsenal if six-nation talks on the crisis were delayed, saying Washington was "wasting time" by rejecting Pyongyang's offer to freeze its nuclear arms program.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) delivered Beijing's message to US Secretary of State Colin Powell from Ethiopia where he is travelling with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
"Li briefed Powell on China's stand and expressed hope for the US side to take a more flexible and practical attitude in preparation for the next round of six-party talks," Xinhua said in a report from Addis Ababa.
Analysts said the appeal was a sign of Beijing's frustration over a lack of headway in resolving the crisis after it first hosted three-way talks, then six-way talks in August and is now trying to set up the next round.
China's pressure on Washington came days after getting strong backing from US President George W. Bush on Taiwan.
Bush prompted the latest warning from Pyonyang when he rejected North Korea's demand for energy aid and other items in exchange for a freeze on its suspected nuclear arms programme.
Bush told Wen during the premier's visit to Washington last week that the US goal was not a freeze but a full, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of the program.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher brushed off suggestions of Chinese pressure, saying Beijing had urged all parties to take a flexible stance and Washington was "willing to work with the Chinese to establish a good basis for talks."
It was not the first time China has criticized the US over North Korea, but analysts said Li's remarks reflected growing frustration with Washington over the crisis, which has festered for more than a year.
"China asked the United States to be more flexible because North Korea has shown flexibility, while the United States has not," said Jin Canrong, who teaches international relations at Renmin University.
Despite a flurry of shuttle diplomacy, expectations that North Korea would join South Korea, the US, Japan, Russia and China in talks on the nuclear crisis in December have given way to plans to convene the meeting in January.
In Washington, Boucher said the Chinese had concluded it would not be possible to hold a meeting this week and that Washington was now looking at possible talks early next year.
North Korea's ruling party newspaper criticised Washington on Monday for rejecting the North's proposal for a "simultaneous package solution" under which Pyongyang would freeze its nuclear program in exchange for energy aid.
"Its delaying tactics would only result in compelling the DPRK [North Korea] to steadily increase its nuclear deterrent force," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a report published by the official KCNA news agency.
Last week, South Korea, the US and Japan conveyed to China their proposed wording for a resolution to end the 14-month-old crisis, under which the two sides would set up a step-by-step process.
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