N KOREA: The US must decide how to respond to North Korea's offer to terminate its nuclear programme. Jasper Becker in Beijing examines the options
North Korea surprised the American side during last week's trilateral talks by putting forward a package of proposals to ease tensions on the peninsula which Chinese diplomats are presenting as a positive sign despite the mixed signals coming out of Washington.
"It points to a way forward, and that's good. They put forward a road map for simultaneously achieving progress on all fronts," said a Western diplomat who was briefed by the Chinese on Monday. "On the other hand, the talks ended without an agreement to resume on a later date."
President Bush's top security advisers were planning to meet yesterday to discuss the US response to the proposals and were expected to face competing suggestions on whether to continue negotiations with Pyongyang, US officials said last night.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell "is inclined to continue negotiations with Pyongyang, while (Defence Secretary Mr Donald) Rumsfeld is not."
It was unclear whether any decisions would be made at the meeting in part because Mr Rumsfeld, who is travelling in the Gulf, will be represented by his deputy, Mr Paul Wolfowitz.
Any suggestion of concessions to North Korea was ruled out flatly by the White House. President Bush's spokesman, Mr Ari Fleischer, said he would "not reward North Korea for bad behaviour".
"What we seek is North Korea's irrevocable and verifiable dismantlement of its nuclear weapons programme. We will not provide them with inducements for doing what they always said they were going to do," Mr Fleischer told reporters.
China has a keen interest in furthering the negotiations to prevent a conflict breaking out. It offered to broker the talks after the Americans and North Koreans disagreed on whether there should be bilateral or multilateral negotiations.
The three-day meeting was initially presented as a routine encounter to sort out procedural arrangements before real negotiations started but the North Korean negotiator, Mr Ri Gun, upset the US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr James Kelly, by boasting during private talks at a reception that North Korea already has nuclear weapons.
Analysts say the North Koreans have consistently used such aggressive negotiating tactics in their eagerness to shock and awe the Americans into coming to the table.
Mr Ri threatened that North Korea might take "extraordinary measures" if its demands were not met.
Washington insists Pyongyang must honour previous promises and scrap its nuclear weapons programmes before the United States will discuss economic and diplomatic rewards.
"It is quite obvious that as long as the US maintains such a stand, the two sides will only waste time no matter how frequently they negotiate and such talks will not be of any help," said a statement issued in Pyongyang yesterday.
"What is urgent for the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue is for the US to put into practice its will to make a switchover in its hostile policy towards the North," it said.
The North Koreans want security guarantees, diplomatic recognition, the lifting of economic sanctions, food and fuel deliveries and a deal under which South Korea provides aid and Japan offers large sums as compensation for its colonial occupation from 1910-1945.
In return, the North Koreans are offering to scrap their nuclear weapons programme and further tests of new long-range missiles, to halt exports of missiles and missile technology and to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to re-enter the country and verify its promises.
Washington press reports at first quoted American officials revealing the belligerent statements but leaving out North Korean's sweeping proposal. This only came to light after the Chinese briefing on Monday.
In response, Mr Powell cautiously acknowledged that such proposals had indeed been made.