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US urges China to intercede on N. Korea
The United States tried Friday to salvage stalled talks over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, urging China to persuade its neighbour to give up its weapons program without receiving a reactor for generating power. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the six-nation talks were in a "stalemate," with North Korea demanding a light-water reactor before dismantling its nuclear weapons program. The North has been offered economic aid, security guarantees from Washington and free electricity from South Korea in exchange for bowing to demands that it give up the weapons program. "I hope China will feel a certain responsibility to convince (North Korea) to take that deal," Hill said Friday morning before heading to a meeting with the Chinese side. Japan, Russia and South Korea are also participating in the talks. Hill said he thought the Chinese had a responsibility to exercise their influence over North Korea, noting that the two sides had a "very long history." Hill said he also would meet with the South Korean and Japanese delegations, but had no scheduled meetings with the North Korean delegation. No progress was made during meetings Thursday, participants in the talks said. The head of Japan's delegation, Kenichiro Sasae, called the situation "extremely difficult" and said the negotiations were at a "deadlock." Chinese officials would not immediately comment on a report by Japan's Kyodo News agency that Beijing was drafting a new proposal for the talks. Citing unidentified sources, Kyodo also reported that
North Korea told other nations at the negotiations that it would boost its
production of nuclear material if its demand for such a reactor is not met.
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