Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, head
of the Chinese delegation to the six-party talks said that
the Beijing six-party talks marked the establishment of the
objective of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and the
beginning of the process of peaceful
settlement.
He gave a press conference
to domestic and foreign media on August 29, during which he
said that the Beijing six-party talks were a historic
opportunity to peacefully solving the DPRK nuclear issue.
The talks got the personal attention and care of leaders of
relevant countries and the extensive attention of the
international community. All six delegations came to attend
the talks with sincerity and hope to achieve
peace.
Wang said that all parties
adopted candid and responsible attitudes during the talks,
expounded their respective principled positions and
propositions revolving around the nuclear issue, and
conducted serious discussions about their respective
concerns. The various parties also had direct contacts with
one another in various forms.
He went on
to say that the basic stance of the various sides was
positive. The US and DPRK sides conveyed constructive
messages. On the US side, it stressed that it was possible
to solve the nuclear issue through peaceful means, the US
side did not intend to threaten, invade, attack, or seek a
regime change in the DPRK, and the US hoped to address
issues of mutual concern with the DPRK through negotiations
and to move towards establishment of diplomatic ties in a
gradual manner. On the DPRK side, it indicated that the DPRK
longed for peace and was ready to establish friendship with
all countries. A nuclear-free Korean peninsula was the
objective of the DPRK and it was not the DPRK's aim to own
nuclear weapons. It was willing to give up its nuclear
program and peacefully coexist with the US as long as the US
side changed its policy towards the DPRK and stopped
threatening the DPRK.
He said that there
were quite a few diverging views, even sharp ones cropping
up during the talks, adding that generally speaking all
parties had been calm. While elaborating on their respective
positions, Russia, the ROK and Japan did a lot to promote
peace.
He said that the six parties did
not sit together to play up their differences and rather
sought ways to solve problems.
He said
that the six parties have reached the following six-point
consensus on the Korean nuclear issue, which is the major
result of the talks:
-- to resolve the nuclear
issue through peaceful means and dialogue. They stressed
that the stability and peace should be maintained to achieve
lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula;
-- while
a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula should be realized, the
security concerns of the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea should also be taken into consideration;
-- to explore an overall plan to resolve the
nuclear issue in a just and reasonable manner and in a
simultaneous and incremental way;
-- in the
process of negotiations any action or word that may
aggravate the situation should be avoided;
--
dialogue should continue to establish trust, reduce
differences and broaden common ground;
-- the
six-party talks should continue and the specific date and
venue should be decided through diplomatic channels as soon
as possible.
Wang said the six-point
consensus reached with the concerted efforts of the six
countries demonstrated the spirit of understanding and
cooperation and China, as the host country, was very happy
about this. He said that the talks marked the establishment
of the objective of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and the
beginning of the process of peaceful settlement. The
principle of simultaneity was widely endorsed, which laid a
necessary foundation for the next round of talks. China was
of the view that the talks were useful, and marked an
important step towards the peaceful solution of the nuclear
issue.
Q: Judging from the talks, how
many disputes are there between the DPRK and the U.S? How
long will it take to solve the DPRK nuclear
issue?
Wang: The disputes between the
two sides are all-faceted, involving a lot of fields. For
example, the DPRK has made it clear for many times that the
U.S. imposes a severe threat to the DPRK, but the U.S
insists its own stance on this issue. The existence of
disputes is real, but what matters is to adopt a right
attitude and method to solve them.
The
Chinese side always supports a peaceful resolution to the
disputes through dialogues. The Korean nuclear issue has a
very complicated historical background and realistic
principle, and the solution to this issue requires a
process, most probably a twisted process. However, so long
as all parties have the political will and sincerity, a
solution to this issue can be realized completely. The most
urgent matter at present is to keep the dialogue momentum
that does not come by easily and keep the Beijing-initiated
process moving forward.
Q: The U.S
demanded a complete, verifiable and non-reversible way to
eliminate the DPRK's nuclear project, and at the same time,
the DPRK also requested some kind of security guarantee.
Could you explain how the two sides put forward a
simultaneous solution?
Wang: Indeed the
two sides have put forward their respective demands. All
parties also expressed and exchanged their views on the
Korean nuclear issue, and on the whole they agreed that the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United
States should resolve each other's concerns simultaneously,
and in a good order, especially in the situation where the
two sides didn't have much trust in each other. I think it
is a practical and feasible way to
go.
Q: During the three-day talks, was
there any direct contact between the DPRK and the U.S
delegations? How was the atmosphere, and the content? All
parties have done their jobs conducive to peace and talks.
And what did China do?
Wang: The two
sides have had direct contact with each other in a way
acceptable to both. As to the specific content, I am afraid
that you must ask the people concerned. But what I can
confirm is that this contact enhanced the understanding
between the two countries.
China's role
is conducive to peace and talks, and we have made a series
of efforts to achieve that. But I want to stress that
without all parties' support, it is futile for China to do
all that. The Beijing three-party talks held in April were
supported by the DPRK and the U.S, and the six-party talks
were suggested by the DPRK, and supported by all sides. So
both talks were the efforts of all
parties.
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