China bids to restart N Korea nuclear talks

A senior Chinese official planned to begin three days of talks in South Korea today as part of efforts to restart stalled six-party negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programmes.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei was scheduled to meet his counterpart, Song Min-soon.

Wu and Song are top negotiators in the North Korean nuclear dispute.

Wu’s visit comes after top negotiators from the United States, Japan and South Korea met in Seoul last week and urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table following its February 10 announcement that it has nuclear weapons.

The United States and South Korea have urged China to play a more active role in persuading North Korea to return to the six-party talks, which also include Russia and Japan.

Since 2003, Beijing has hosted three rounds of six-party negotiations, with little progress reported.

A fourth round scheduled for last September never took place because North Korea refused to attend, citing what it called a “hostile” US policy.

In previous talks, North Korea has demanded more aid and a non-aggression treaty with Washington in exchange for giving up its nuclear programmes.

The United States, meanwhile, wants the North to dismantle all nuclear facilities immediately.