John Kerry appeals to China over North Korea nuclear talks
Baku, February 14 (AZERTAC). John Kerry`s appeal for China to help bring North Korea back to nuclear disarmament talks faced an uncertain response after the US also demanded that Beijing roll back on aggressive steps taken during territorial disputes with neighbours.
The US secretary of state opened a 24-hour visit in Beijing by meeting the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of the People. Kerry planned to meet other senior officials and address issues ranging from climate change to Syria and Iran.
The extent of China's influence, and willingness to use it, with North Korea is unclear following a purge in the isolated country's leadership. China has also angrily dismissed US criticism over moves in the East and South China seas that have alarmed US allies such as Japan and the Philippines.
In Seoul, on Thursday, Kerry said the White House wanted a fresh emphasis on getting North Korea back to six-nation talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons.
Efforts toward that end, he said, would rely heavily on Chinese pressure.
Jang's removal was seen as depriving Beijing of its chief conduit into the North Korean regime and in the weeks that followed the leadership found itself at a loss as to how to proceed. A delegation of Chinese diplomats led by the foreign ministry's deputy head of Asian affairs visited Pyongyang last week in a sign that Beijing was trying to renew dialogue.
Those discussions involving the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan, broke down at the end of 2008 and US officials say they see no point of restarting talks until Pyongyang shows an authentic desire to make good on its prior commitments to dismantle its nuclear programmes.
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