THE US: US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday that talks among the US, China and North Korea "have not moved the ball forward" towards reaching a diplomatic solution to Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
But during a Pentagon news briefing, Mr Rumsfeld declined to say a military option was any closer. "The President's on a diplomatic path," he said.
Three days of talks with North Korea ended in Beijing on Wednesday with diplomats doubtful that the US would return for a second round after Pyongyang's representative boasted that his country already had nuclear weapons.
Mr Rumsfeld said: "Clearly, the recent discussions have not moved the ball forward. But Secretary [of State, Colin\] Powell and the President are working on the matter, and the hope is that it can ultimately be resolved through diplomatic means."
China, which had brokered the talks, nevertheless sounded upbeat. A spokesman said the US and North Korean negotiators agreed with a handshake to keep diplomatic channels open.
"All the participating parties considered the Beijing talks a good beginning of a process leading to settlement of the North Korean issue," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mr Liu Jianchao.
"All the parties agreed to further study the positions of the other side and liaise through diplomatic channels on furthering Beijing talks," he said.
The meeting was billed as one setting up procedures for further talks but ended on the second day when North Korean envoy Mr Li Gun bluntly said they had nuclear weapons.