China, South Korea discuss North's nuclear plans

Seoul, Sept 29: A top Chinese nuclear envoy arrived in South Korea on today to help spur stalled talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, with Washington growing weary of Pyongyang's refusal to return to the table.

Wu Dawei, China's vice foreign minister and chief diplomat in charge of negotiations with North Korea, will be in Seoul until Sunday for meetings with South Korea's Foreign Minister and chief envoy to the six-country nuclear talks.

The meeting between China and South Korea, the North's two biggest benefactors, comes with the United States saying it hopes North Korea responds in the next six weeks to efforts to revive the talks which have been on ice for almost a year.

On Wednesday, chief US negotiator Christopher Hill said those efforts are in a ''crucial phase''.

North Korea rattled regional security concerns by defying international warnings and test-firing seven missiles in July.

The secretive state has also reportedly been preparing for its first nuclear weapons test.

North Korea has said it would be unthinkable for it to return to the talks among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States until Washington ends a crackdown on firms it suspects of aiding Pyongyang in illicit activities.

Wu will also discuss a planned summit meeting between the leaders of South Korea and China that is expected to take place in mid-October in Beijing, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said.

REUTERS