North Korea said it has reached a consensus with China on resuming international talks on ending its nuclear arms program, but analysts were skeptical about the chances of substantive talks any time soon.
China, the North’s sole key ally, has urged regional powers to put the March sinking of a South Korean warship behind them and return to the negotiating table to end a cycle of confrontation that has raised tension to new heights.
Seoul and Washington have said the North must first admit responsibility for the sinking before they would consider returning to the talks.
Chinese state media said a delegation led by Beijing’s chief nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei (武大偉), visited Pyongyang earlier this week for talks on security issues and the six-party talks process.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the two sides had held “in-depth discussions on the regional situation and the bilateral relations of friendship and matters of mutual concern including the resumption of the six-party talks and the denuclearization of the whole Korean Peninsula.”
“They reached a full consensus of views on all the matters discussed,” it reported.
Analysts urged caution, saying there were no details on the consensus reached and warned Pyongyang has a history of quickly shifting tack in its diplomatic and nuclear dealings.
“Even if North Korea returns to talks, it should be seen as a temporary tactical move, because they are not prepared to abandon their nuclear weapons,” said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School, a prominent institute in Beijing.
Six-way nuclear talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China began in 2003 and have been in limbo since 2008 when North Korea said they were finished. It has reneged on nearly all its agreements.
Host China has urged regional powers to “flip the page of the Cheonan incident,” referring to the sinking of the South Korean warship and quickly resume negotiations.
The sinking of the Cheonan has prompted tougher sanctions against the North by Seoul and Washington, as well as a series of military exercises designed to show their combined military might.
The US and South Korean militaries are currently conducting their second joint drill inside a month, and plan another early next month off the west coast close to China.
Beijing has reacted furiously to such exercises, saying they are a threat to its security and regional stability.
Last month, a joint drill involving a US aircraft carrier off the west coast was moved to the other side of peninsula due to Beijing’s protests.
The US military said yesterday next month’s drills would not include the aircraft carrier.
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