Rice seeks to soothe Asian fears over sanctions

SEOUL, Oct 19 (Reuters) US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played down differences with South Korea and China over sanctions to punish North Korea as Beijing stiffened its stand ahead of the top US diplomat's visit tomorrow.

While Rice was on her own diplomatic push in Seoul today, China sent a high-level delegation to Pyongyang to meet its leader, Kim Jong-il.

Rice said she hoped the Chinese mission would convince North Korea to return to moribund six-party talks on winding up its nuclear programme.

But a senior State Department official was less optimistic and said he did not expect any ''surprise announcement'' when Rice met China's special envoy to Pyongyang, Tang Jiaxuan, in Beijing, the last Asian leg of her trip.

Rice will be in Moscow on Saturday.

''Our understanding is that the North Koreans have not been in the mood to return to (six-party) talks. If anything they are looking to escalate the crisis further,'' said the official, who asked not to be identified.

The six-party talks have been stalled for the past year after the United States imposed financial restrictions on North Korea. The talks bring together the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

In a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Rice papered over differences with both Seoul and China over the implementation of sanctions against North Korea, and particularly Seoul's refusal to abandon two projects in the North.

Ban said he tried to convince Rice of the ''positive aspects'' of the projects and promised his country would review adjusting them so they were consistent with the UN resolution imposing financial and weapons sanctions against North Korea.

Rice countered that some reports on how to implement inspections of North Korean vessels on the high seas had been ''exaggerated'' and she said the United States had no intention of escalating the crisis by imposing a blockade or putting the already reclusive state in quarantine.

''The idea that we would do something ... that escalates tensions on the Korean peninsula or on the high seas for that matter could not be more wrong,'' said Rice.

China has taken exception to the firm US approach to sanctions against North Korea, and particularly the idea of interdicting North Korean vessels at sea.

In Beijing, on the eve of Rice's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao warned against ''wilfully'' expanding UN sanctions.

''Sanctions are a signal, not the goal,'' he told a news conference.

Beijing and Seoul fear a heavy-handed approach to inspections of North Korean cargo will lead to military confrontations that could only exacerbate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

China is also resistant about squeezing Beijing's food and energy lifeline to isolate Pyongyang, fearing such a move would lead to an exodus of refugees and even the ultimate implosion of the state.

The senior State Department official said the United States understood the concerns of Seoul and Beijing, adding that no one wanted to see the collapse of North Korea. But he said China must understand it had a responsibility to stop North Korea's nuclear programme.

''Those countries who are worried about North Korea's collapse need to be as worried about a nuclear weapon,'' he said.

Reuters PB GC1942