JAPAN: US North Korea envoy talks to Japanese counterpart, as Japan and China officials work at smoothing out their relationship

Record ID: 465573

  • Title: JAPAN: US North Korea envoy talks to Japanese counterpart, as Japan and China officials work at smoothing out their relationship
  • Date: 16th October 2006
  • Summary: WIDE OF IKURA GOVERNMENT HOUSE EXTERIOR AT NIGHT WANG JIARUI, MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE CHINESE PEOPLE'S CONGRESS ARRIVING FOR BANQUET VARIOUS JAPANESE AND CHINESE OFFICIALS MINGLING CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN WANG YI TALKING TO JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER TARO ASO
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVABHQABI32MBUH9DQYWRRN7AFP1
  • Story Text: The United States said on Monday (October 16, 2006) it expected China to implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea despite misgivings, and warned Pyongyang that merely returning to nuclear talks would not be enough to halt the punitive steps.
    Washington's top envoy on North Korea, Christopher Hill, arrived in Tokyo ahead of this week's visit by Rice to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. Hill met with his Japanese counterpart Kenichiro Sasae, director-general of the Foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau to talking about implementation of the resolution.
    "The Security Council Resolution was passed on Saturday in New York so obviously we have some work to do now to discuss implementation, but at this point I am not prepared to discuss with you specifically about timing except to say we want this United Nations Security resolution to be effective in bringing North Korea around to implementing its obligation under the joint statement," Hill said.
    "We agreed between the United States and Japan to do all we can to make sure North Korea returns unconditionally to the six-way talks as soon as possible," added Sasae.
    Japan said its Foreign Minister Taro Aso would meet U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon in Seoul on Thursday (October 19) for a display of unity on North Korea, after Rice visits Tokyo earlier in the week.
    The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved on Saturday (October 14) a U.S.-drafted package of financial and weapons sanctions against North Korea, which -- defying international pressure -- said last week that it had conducted a nuclear test.
    North Korea agreed in principle at six-party talks in September 2005 to scrap its nuclear arms programmes in return for aid, security assurances and promises of better diplomatic ties.
    China, Pyongyang's old Communist ally and trading partner, joined the Security Council's 15-0 vote for the sanctions.
    But Beijing has made clear it would not conduct searches of cargo going to and from North Korea for material that could be used to produce weapons of mass destruction.
    Meanwhile Japan was busy diplomatically on another front with China, as the two nation's found some common ground with North Korea and began patching up its previously rocky relationship.
    A Chinese Communist Party delegation attended a banquet with top Japanese officials including Foreign Minister Taro Aso.
    The warm reception received by the delegation marked a positive turn in relations with both sides praising each other and looking forward to better days.
    "Just as we firmly have faith that spring always follows winter, our two countries will see a warming in relationships and better ties. And that is also the wish of many of our peoples and no one can stop that and that is one reason why many of us still firmly people that things will get better," Chinese Communist Party Minister of International Affairs Wang Jiarui told Japanese and Chinese delegates on Monday evening.
    "Japan and China are at fresh starting point (since the visit of Prime minister Shinzo Abe," added Japanese Foreign minister Taro Aso.
    Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe, 52, took office three weeks ago promising to adopt a more muscular diplomacy, rewrite the U.S.-drafted constitution and strengthen military cooperation with the United States, while at the same time seeking to thaw ties with China and South Korea.
    Abe, who as chief cabinet secretary led Japan's response to North Korea's missile tests in July, already looked well-placed for a diplomatic coup after winning agreement from Beijing and Seoul to resume summits denied to predecessor Junichiro Koizumi because of his pilgrimages to a Tokyo war shrine.
    Then, North Korea's nuclear tests smoothed the way for his historic summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao by overshadowing friction over the Yasukuni Shrine, which Beijing and Seoul say symbolises Japan's past militarism.
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