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South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun shakes hands with Chinese president Hu Jintao before a summit meeting in Beijing on October 13.
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After North’s test, Hu sends diplomat to Washington, Moscow
Tang Jiaxuan, 68, a state council member in charge of foreign affairs for China, is on a tour of the United States and Russia in the wake of North Korea’s declared nuclear test. Tang plans to deliver Chinese president Hu Jintao’s message to U.S. president George W. Bush in Washington on October 12 local time, and then leave for Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin. On October 13, South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun will hold a summit meeting with his Chinese counterpart Hu in Beijing. China’s diplomatic wheels are turning, amid international pressure to impose sanctions against North Korea following its declared nuclear test on October 9. China’s foreign ministry disclosed these details regarding Tang’s visits to the U.S. and Russia. As a special envoy of President Hu, Tang’s tour is seen as China’s move to try to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis.A diplomatic source in Beijing said, “Tang’s visit to the U.S. was to deliver Hu’s message for diplomacy in contrast with Bush’s plans for tougher sanctions, in order to prevent the crisis from worsening further.” The source said the move may represent China’s willingness to again become a ’bridge’ between North Korea and the U.S. An official at the North Korean embassy in China said in a telephone interview with The Hankyoreh, “The dispatch of Tang as a special envoy shows that China has no choice but to step in to resolve the matter." The official expected Tang to propose the U.S. offer a bargaining chip to the North in order to push ahead with possible bilateral discussion between North Korea and the U.S. In addition, the official said the U.S. may also consider a measure to progress with such bilateral talks, even as the U.S. has so far appeared to call for tougher sanctions. Asked whether North Korea has a will to invite U.S. officials, such as assistant secretary of state Christopher Hill, to Pyongyang, the official said fine-tuning in a third country would be necessary if U.S. officials were to visit North Korea. In June, the U.S. rejected North Korea’s invitation for Hill to visit Pyongyang, the official said. Asked about the possibility of Tang’s visit to North Korea, the official said that "anyone, including Tang and China’s vice foreign minister Wu Dawei, could come to Pyongyang as a special envoy.” The official said North Korea would be able to return to the six-party talks right now if the U.S. shows willingness for direct dialogue with Pyongyang. Meanwhile, an official at China’s foreign ministry said, “There is no change in China’s stance that the six-nation talks are the best channel to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem," suggesting that Hu’s message being carried by Tang may be to resume the six-party talks. However, the official said, “China also welcomes bilateral talks between North Korea and the U.S.,” indicating the Pyongyang-Washington meeting is one of several options.
