Will new round break deadlock of nuclear talks?
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-07-24 20:24

As delegations of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States arrived in Beijing, the new round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue slated to begin next Tuesday has again caught world wide attention.

Christopher Hill, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and top U.S. negotiator for the six-party talks, arrives at Beijing Airport July 24, 2005. Six-party nuclear talks will start on Tuesday in Beijing after a 13-month hiatus, with regional powers trying to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programmes in exchange for security guarantees and economic aid. [Reuters]

Although great uncertainties remain for the talks, analysts said, there is a glimpse of hope that the deadlock of the talks may be broken should all sides value the upcoming opportunity following a break of 13 months.

Huge difficulties still remain ahead as the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue is one the most complicated, sensitive and tough issues in current world. No substantial progress was made in the previous three rounds of the talks in 2003 and 2004.

The new round of the talks, to be held among China, the DPRK, the United States, Russia, the ROK and Japan, will begin next Tuesday but when the talks will conclude is undecided.

Compared the previous three rounds, which last usually three days each, the new round has many uncertainties, said Piao Jianyi, a professor with the Asian-Pacific Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The DPRK announced itself as a nuclear nation last February, and the US official responsible for the six-party talks has changed. Heads of delegations for four parties has changed too except the DPRK and Russian delegations.

"Signs have indicated that it would be very difficult to see major breakthrough or progress for the talks," said another Chinese scholar Jin Linbo in an interview with Xinhua.

Both the United States and DPRK have not changed their fundamental positions on the ways and approach to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and their deep mutual mistrust still remain.

In addition, China and the ROK still differ with the United States on ways of denuclearization.

"Those are obstacles they must come through should the talks reach substantial progress," said Jin, a professor with the China Institute of International Studies.

But there is a glimpse of hope. The new round can only be resumed after the two key parties, the DPRK and the United States, have given some way.

According to a Chinese analyst, that the new round will begin was mainly because the United States took "friendly" steps. U.S. held bilateral talks with the DPRK, stopped strong criticism on the DPRK, pledged it would treat the DPRK as a sovereign state that it would not invade and that it would hold one-to-one meeting with the DPRK within the six-party framework.

Just before the new round is about to begin, US President George W. Bush said the US hopes to resolve the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue through diplomatic means and that he is satisfied that the new round would be held soon.

On the other hand, the DPRK said it has been the DPRK's stance to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultations.

A spokesman for the DPRK foreign ministry said the DPRK seeks profound discussion on the ways and approach to denuclearization so that the talks can make substantial progress.

China, the ROK and Russia have all expressed the hope that the new round should proceed smoothly and result in substantial progress.

Zhang Lian'gui, a professor with the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the six parties have two points in common -- that the Korean Peninsula should remain nuclear-weapons-free and the new round should achieve progress.

"Those two points have laid an important basis for the upcoming round of the talks," Zhang said in an article published by the overseas edition of the People's Daily.

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