| U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said | | | | of China's efforts to restart the talks, and |
| Tuesday she would not put a time limit on talks | | | | suggested that China, which has long been North |
| to end North Korea's nuclear program, but that | | | | Korea's main aid provider, has become as |
| the onus is on Pyongyang now to produce some | | | | frustrated as other participants by Pyongyang's |
| results. The Chinese-sponsored six-party talks are | | | | defiant posture: |
| due to resume in Beijing next Monday after a | | | | "The fact that China has supported two Security |
| break of more than a year. VOA's David Gollust | | | | Council resolutions, not least Security Council |
| reports from the State Department. | | | | resolution 1718 which imposed sanctions on North |
| The Chinese-sponsored six party talks have been | | | | Korea - if you'd have asked me three years ago |
| underway, in fits and starts, since 2003 with little | | | | whether I thought China would do that, I think I |
| to show in terms of concrete results. | | | | would have suspected they wouldn't," said |
| While dismissing the idea of setting a deadline for | | | | Alexander Downer. "So there has been quite a |
| a final agreement, Secretary of State Rice says it | | | | constructive and dramatic evolution of Chinese |
| is time for North Korea to demonstrate its | | | | diplomacy in terms of dealing with the North |
| commitment to an accord, especially after its | | | | Korean issue, not least of course egged on by |
| nuclear test in October that drew U.N. sanctions. | | | | the missile testing and the nuclear testing this |
| "I don't think anyone would ask us that we set a | | | | year." |
| firm deadline by which if we can't do this then the | | | | Pyongyang said it would return to the talks at the |
| talks end," said Condoleezza Rice. "But I do think | | | | end of October, only days after being hit with the |
| there is an expectation in the international | | | | U.N. sanctions package that among other things |
| community that these talks are not for the sake | | | | bans exports to North Korea of military |
| of talks, that indeed North Korea needs to - | | | | technology, and luxury goods favored by the |
| particularly after its nuclear test - needs to | | | | communist country's leaders. |
| demonstrate that it is in fact committed to | | | | The six-party talks, including Russia, Japan and |
| de-nuclearization." | | | | South Korea as well as the United States, North |
| Rice spoke at a news conference capping a | | | | Korea and host China produced a statement of |
| day-long meeting of top U.S. and Australian foreign | | | | principles for an agreement in September 2005 |
| affairs and defense officials that focused on Asian | | | | but broke down only two months later. |
| regional security issues including Pyongyang's | | | | Under that framework, North Korea agreed to |
| nuclear program. | | | | abandon its nuclear ambition in exchange for aid |
| Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said | | | | and security guarantees from the other parties. In |
| he agreed with Rice that talks for the sake of | | | | her comments here, Rice called it a full program |
| talks are pointless, and that it is time for some | | | | of incentives including increased political contacts |
| results. | | | | with Pyongyang perhaps leading over time to |
| Downer paid tribute to what he termed the vigor | | | | normal relations. |