ID :
35447
Sat, 12/13/2008 - 13:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/35447
The shortlink copeid
China urges N. Korea to resume dialogue with S. Korea
By Yoo Cheong-mo
FUKUOKA, Japan, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in
forcing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program during their bilateral talks
here on Saturday, Lee's office said.
Lee and Wen also expressed regret at the breakdown of the latest session of the
six-party talks, which were held in Beijing earlier this week on verification
measures for the North's nuclear declaration, according to the office.
"Lee explained the latest circumstances on the Korean Peninsula, while Wen
stressed the two Koreas should attempt to improve relations through dialogue and
negotiations. The Chinese leader then offered continued support for better
inter-Korean relations," said the office in a statement.
"The two leaders expressed regret for the failure of the six countries (South
Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia) to produce an agreement on
measures to verify the North's nuclear program," said the statement.
The Lee-Wen meeting came ahead of a tripartite summit that will also involve
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The China-hosted six-party talks have agreed in principle to scrap North Korea's
nuclear program in return for aid and diplomatic benefits.
But the latest session of the talks broke down on Thursday after North Korea
refused to accept a Chinese draft verification plan that called for nuclear
inspectors to be able to remove samples from North Korean nuclear sites for
outside analysis.
Meanwhile, Lee and Wen agreed to reinforce a bilateral currency swap deal and
deepen policy cooperation in overcoming the global financial crisis and in
working out multilateral policy measures at the Group of 20 summit scheduled to
take place in London next April.
On Friday, South Korea's central bank announced agreements with its Japanese and
Chinese counterparts to expand the ceiling on their respective foreign currency
credit swap lines to $30 billion.
South Korea, faced with a weakening won and declining foreign exchange reserves,
has long sought to expand its foreign currency swap lines with the U.S., Japan
and China.
Lee and Chinese President Hu Jintao have already held three rounds of summit
talks in May and August.
During their first summit in Beijing in late May, Lee and Hu agreed to upgrade
Seoul-Beijing relations from a "comprehensive cooperative partnership" to a
"strategic cooperative partnership." The two leaders met again on Aug. 9 in
Beijing, after Lee attended the opening ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympics
there.
In their third meeting held in Seoul on Aug. 25, Lee and Hu issued a joint summit
statement vowing to significantly deepen bilateral political, economic, cultural
and personnel exchanges to follow up on the strategic cooperative partnership.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
FUKUOKA, Japan, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in
forcing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program during their bilateral talks
here on Saturday, Lee's office said.
Lee and Wen also expressed regret at the breakdown of the latest session of the
six-party talks, which were held in Beijing earlier this week on verification
measures for the North's nuclear declaration, according to the office.
"Lee explained the latest circumstances on the Korean Peninsula, while Wen
stressed the two Koreas should attempt to improve relations through dialogue and
negotiations. The Chinese leader then offered continued support for better
inter-Korean relations," said the office in a statement.
"The two leaders expressed regret for the failure of the six countries (South
Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia) to produce an agreement on
measures to verify the North's nuclear program," said the statement.
The Lee-Wen meeting came ahead of a tripartite summit that will also involve
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The China-hosted six-party talks have agreed in principle to scrap North Korea's
nuclear program in return for aid and diplomatic benefits.
But the latest session of the talks broke down on Thursday after North Korea
refused to accept a Chinese draft verification plan that called for nuclear
inspectors to be able to remove samples from North Korean nuclear sites for
outside analysis.
Meanwhile, Lee and Wen agreed to reinforce a bilateral currency swap deal and
deepen policy cooperation in overcoming the global financial crisis and in
working out multilateral policy measures at the Group of 20 summit scheduled to
take place in London next April.
On Friday, South Korea's central bank announced agreements with its Japanese and
Chinese counterparts to expand the ceiling on their respective foreign currency
credit swap lines to $30 billion.
South Korea, faced with a weakening won and declining foreign exchange reserves,
has long sought to expand its foreign currency swap lines with the U.S., Japan
and China.
Lee and Chinese President Hu Jintao have already held three rounds of summit
talks in May and August.
During their first summit in Beijing in late May, Lee and Hu agreed to upgrade
Seoul-Beijing relations from a "comprehensive cooperative partnership" to a
"strategic cooperative partnership." The two leaders met again on Aug. 9 in
Beijing, after Lee attended the opening ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympics
there.
In their third meeting held in Seoul on Aug. 25, Lee and Hu issued a joint summit
statement vowing to significantly deepen bilateral political, economic, cultural
and personnel exchanges to follow up on the strategic cooperative partnership.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
