President Hu Jintao
met his South Korean counterpart in Moscow yesterday, discussing
the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue among other areas. The same day,
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) foreign ministry
said they would not take part in talks with the US outside the
six-party framework.
"We cannot have any form of talks with the US nor can we deal
with it as long as the DPRK is branded 'an outpost of tyranny',"
said a ministry spokesperson, adding that the US should "stop
ignoring and insulting its dialogue partner and try to create an
atmosphere favorable for the resumption of six-way talks."
Hu and Roh Moo-hyun had arrived in Moscow earlier in the day to
attend today's celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the
Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War. They agreed that
Chinese-South Korean relations should be boosted.
On the nuclear issue, Roh said changes in circumstances
necessitate serious study by all parties and that South Korea
expects China to play an active role in resolving the
situation.
Hu said China believes resolving the issue peacefully through
dialogue is in the interests of all concerned and therefore has
actively engaged in efforts to this end. He urged all parties
concerned to make joint efforts to reopen the six-party talks and
to make sure they stay on course.
The six-party talks have been stalled since February, when the
DPRK announced its decision to suspend their participation and, for
the first time, admitted possessing nuclear arms for purposes of
self-defense.
(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2005)