Six-party Talks
China has called for the resumption of the stalled six-party talks. To allay concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the six parties involved in talks about North Korea's nuclear program to make a concerted effort to create conditions for the resumption of the six-party talks at the earliest date possible. The Chinese minister added that all sides should try to revive the negotiations to help ensure regional peace and stability.
The six parties to the negotiations include Russia, China, the United States, Japan, and the two Koreas. But they have been stalled for more than 6 years after the United Nations imposed tougher sanctions on Pyongyang for conducting nuclear and missile tests. At the last round of talks in 2008, North Korea declared any deal void, refusing inspections to verify compliance with U.N. regulations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday in an interview with Russia's Interfax news agency in Moscow, “China and Russia will continue to maintain close communication, coordination, and cooperation over this matter to resume the long-stalled multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear program.” Wang visited Moscow as North Korea and Russia are deepening their diplomatic and economic ties, while political relations between Pyongyang and Beijing remain strained over the North's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons.
However, more positive signs have been seen that indicate North Korea is ready to resume negotiations. Still, it remains uncertain whether or not North Korea will accept the preconditions from South Korea and the U.S. for its sincere commitment toward forgoing its nuclear weapons program.
“Acknowledging that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue has a long and complex history, all sides must find a way out through comprehensive and balanced solutions,” said Wang, calling for a comprehensive and balanced approach to help revive the nuclear talks with North Korea. The Chinese Ministry added that if the six-party talks are resumed, the process should be transformed into a sustainable, irreversible, and effective process of dialogue so that the effort is not wasted.
Last month, South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, Hwang Joon-kook, hinted at possible progress for the negotiations. He said that China and Russia, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea had reached a certain degree of consensus on how to restart an exploratory dialogue on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.