Beijing Six-party Talks Highlight China's Role

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, August 30, 2003

Beijing Six-party Talks Highlight China's Role

The friendly joint handshakes by senior diplomats from the nations most-closely concerned with the Korean nuclear issue might signal some degree of common aspirationfor lasting peace on the peninsula.

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The Beijing six-party talks ended Friday with a six-point consensus after three days of reclusive meetings.

The Korean nuclear issue remains one of the last relics of the Cold War. The United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the main protagonists in the Korean War more than half a century ago, are wrangling over the nuclear issue, which has led to a dangerous escalation and even a threat of war.

Chinese experts described the six-party talks as a new attempt to solve security problems in the current international situation, and said the talks undoubtedly laid a foundation for a peaceful settlement to the Korean nuclear issue.

The six nations -- China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan -- agreed to resolve the nuclear issue through peaceful means and dialogue.

They also agreed to maintain a nuclear-free Korean peninsula; to explore an overall plan to resolve the nuclear issue in a just and reasonable manner; to refrain from taking any action that may aggravate the situation, and to continue the talks.

Although the 500-plus journalists didn't miss any chance of bombarding with questions any delegation they could catch, no details of the talks came out.

One thing for sure is that the DPRK and the United States had bilateral contacts during the three-day talks, but differences still remain between them.

The problem is who should make the first move. Should the DPRK abandon its nuclear program first in return for a change in US policy? Or should the order be reversed?

The six-party talks, held Aug. 27-29, seem to have produced no clear answer to this dilemma.

Since the Korean nuclear crisis erupted in October last year, the Chinese government has been mediating among the parties concerned for a peaceful solution.

China managed to persuade the DPRK and the US to sit down for three-party talks in Beijing last April, marking a good start for solving the nuclear issue through dialogue.

Although the three-party talks produced no results, the Chinese government did not slacken its efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the issue.

Over the past four months, Chinese President Hu Jintao talked with the US President Gorge W. Bush and ROK President Roh Moo-hyun several times over the phone, exchanging views on the Korean nuclear issue. At the same time, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Wang Yi paid visits to the United States and the DPRK.

In addition to the political resolve to aid a settlement to the Korean nuclear issue, Chinese diplomats have been skillful at arranging multilateral events such as the talks.

The Chinese hosts creatively designed the negotiation table into a giant hexagon, making all sides sit as equals at the same table. And the spacious conference hall was equipped, seemingly inadvertently, with comfortable couches in four corners for coffee breaks. Witnesses said that the US and DPRK delegates crowded into one corner for more than 40 minutes for a casual meeting.

At a news briefing after the conclusion of the talks, Wang Yi, China's chief negotiator said that although future talks are not guaranteed to be smooth, the six parties might find a way to peacefully solve the Korean nuclear issue, leading to a lasting peace on the peninsula, so long as they make concerted efforts.

Since the early 1990s, US administrations, based on intelligence reports, have urged the DPRK to allow access to the international community for inspection of its nuclear facilities.

The Korean nuclear debate heated up again after Kelly, as the US president's special envoy, visited Pyongyang in October 2002, and alleged that the DPRK had an enriched uranium program.

Pyongyang at first insisted on one-to-one talks with the United States, and urged Washington to sign a legally binding non-aggression agreement. At the same time, the Americans pressed the DPRK to give up its nuclear program and accept multi-party talks.

Summarizing the common ground between the various parties and the progress made during the talks, Wang, the chief negotiator on the Chinese team, said that the six parties, with sincerity and hope, came to Beijing to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"The talks have brought about progress, while some disagreement remains," Wang said.

However, he said, "all the parties have agreed that the Beijing talks have been helpful."

Following the end of the Cold War, Li Dunqiu, secretary-general of the Chinese Society for the Study of Korean History, said the power equilibrium in Northeast Asia collapsed.

"Any unbalanced stalemate can be extremely dangerous," said Li, also a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Northeast Asia desperately needs an effective consultation mechanism for addressing security issues, he noted.

"Six-party talks might be a good channel for future consultations," Li said, adding that China has received international praise for activating the talks.

Commenting on the six-party talks Friday, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, a former foreign minister, said, "No matter how sharp and complicated the contradictions and conflicts are among different countries, a solution acceptable to all sides concerned should and can be found through communication and dialogue. This is the best way to ensure national and regional security."

On July 27 fifty years ago, an armistice treaty was signed, after through 575 rounds of talks and negotiations, marking the end of the three-year Korean war .

On Aug. 27, 2003, China, the DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Russia and Japan gathered in Beijing, seeking permanent path to peace and stability.

"This will be a complicated and difficult process, requiring political determination and diplomatic wisdom, as well as high degrees of sense and patience," Tang said.

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