Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks

Top negotiators to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue put their hands together during a meeting with the media in Beijing Sept. 30, 2007. The second phase of the sixth round of the six-party talks would recess for two days, Chinese delegation head Wu Dawei announced on Sunday afternoon.(Xinhua Photo)
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    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — The second phase of the sixth round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue would recess for two days to wait for the approval for a joint document by the respective governments of the six delegations.

    Head of the Chinese delegation to the talks Wu Dawei announced the recess Sunday afternoon in a statement after a meeting of heads of the six delegations, namely China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan.

    Wu, vice foreign minister and chairman of the current talks, said the reason for the two-day recess was that a joint document had been drawn out and still needed the approval of the governments of the six delegations.

    Efforts would be made to publicize the document as soon as possible, Wu noted.

    The current phase of the talks was aimed at making the second phase action plan to implement the September 19 agreement, which includes commitments of the DPRK’s declaration of its nuclear programs and disablement of its nuclear facilities and the other parties’ aid to the DPRK.

    Russian top negotiator Alexander Losyukov said after attending Sunday afternoon’s meeting “the statement will include many important issues”.

    He said, “the joint statement drawn out by all delegations is very comprehensive… It includes the substantive measures to be taken in the following actions.”

    Since the measures were considered highly important, some delegations would have to report them to their governments, so the statement was not ready to be publicized, Losyukov said.

    The Russian side had no disagreement on the statement, he said, adding that the statement should be considered an important fruit of this phase of talks.

    U.S. top negotiator Christopher Hill left Beijing at about 3 p.m. Sunday, soon after the delegation heads’ meeting.

    Hill said at the airport before leaving that the U.S. believed the draft document was well prepared and very specific, and as it included very detailed contents, he had to take it back to the U.S. for further study.

    ”I’m pretty confident that we know what the next steps will be, and we have an understanding that will take us through to the end of the year with respect to disablement and declaration,” Hill told reporters earlier Sunday.

    ROK top negotiator Chun Yung-woo revealed that a specific timetable had been set in the joint statement of the obligations of the DPRK to declare its nuclear programs and disable its nuclear facilities before December 31 this year.

    An understanding had been also reached on what correspondent actions the other parties should take, though not necessarily set with an timetable in the draft joint document, said Chun.

    All parties had shown determination to reach agreement at the talks, and the DPRK particularly “made a considerable concession”, Chun stressed.

    ”All concerned parties know what actions they should accomplish within a certain time,” said Chun.

    He said the draft joint document, a result of concentrated discussion of the six parties, would mark the beginning of the second phase of the implementation of the September 19 joint statement.

    Another official with the ROK delegation said on Sunday afternoon at the condition of anonymity that he believed the disablement of the DPRK’s nuclear facilities could be finished within a year, which meant the process of the six-party talks would enter the period of dismantling nuclear facilities in one year.

    The major disagreement regarding the draft joint document was which parts were to be publicized and which parts not, the official said.

    Japan’s top negotiator Kenichiro Sasae said the six parties had basically reached an agreement on the draft joint document.

    ”Further progress has been made for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the joint document,” said Sasae at hotel Sunday afternoon after meeting the five counterparts.

    On the economic and energy assistance to the DPRK and the future orientation of the talks, all delegations have reached an agreement in the document, said Sasae, refusing to reveal more details.

    ”Meanwhile, all parties have shown the understanding of pushing forward the relations between the DPRK and the United States and Japan,” he said.

    During the meetings held between Japan and the DPRK, both sides agreed that, despite the difficulty in improving and developing the Japan-DPRK relations, the two countries should conduct frequent and close consultations and carry out sincere dialogues to resolve the unsettled issues with common concerns, including the history and the abduction issues, Sasae said.

    Wu Dawei said at his concluding remarks that the current session, which focused on discussing and drawing out an action plan for the second-phase implementation of the February joint statement, was an important one in the whole process of the six-party talks.

    The current phase of the talks was scheduled to run from Sept. 27 to 30. The two-day recess has given possibility to the resuming of the talks during one of China’s “golden week” holidays, the National Day holiday.

    The six parties signed a landmark agreement on Feb. 13 when they finished the fifth round of the six-party talks.

    According to the agreement, the DPRK must declare all nuclear programs and disable all existing nuclear facilities, while the other parties must provide a total of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid to the DPRK.

    The first phase of the sixth round of talks was held in March, which ended with a chairman’s statement. 

    Korean Peninsula nuke talks hopefully to end with a joint document

Heads of the delegations to the six-party talks enter the banquet hall in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2007. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo gave a banquet in honor of the delegation heads of the talks, which involve China, the United States, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, in Beijing on Saturday.(Xinhua Photo)
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    BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Negotiators to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue said on Saturday they have reached certain agreement and a joint document would probably be reached on Sunday.  Full story

    China calls for determination, patience, wisdom to push forward six-party talks

Chinese delegation head Wu Dawei (3rd R) speaks while other top negotiators to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue look on during a news briefing in Beijing Sept. 30, 2007.(Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — China called on here Saturday that parties involved in the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to continue their determination and patience, and use their wisdom to push forward the talks. Full story

    Russian top negotiator: current phase of nuclear talks “highly important”

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — Russian top negotiator for the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue Alexander Losyukov said the second phase of the fresh round of six-party talks was “highly important”.

    ”The joint document will include many important contents,” he said, noting that it is very comprehensive and outlines the substantive measures to be taken in the following actions. Full story

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A couple in south China’s Guangdong Province ended their one-year battle to protect their house from being razed by developers after receiving a proper compensation.

    The couple, Cai Zhuxiang and Zhang Lianhao in Shenzhen city refused to give details about the compensation which was believed to be between 10 million to 20 million yuan (about 1.3 million to 2.7 million U.S. dollars), a rarely large amount in China.

    The couple’s seven-storey brick building lies in the booming downtown area of Shenzhen’s Luohu district. A photo on China’s portal website Sina.com shows it erecting on a bare excavation site as large as 63 football fields against the backdrop of a forest of fancy buildings.

    The site is expected to turn into a financial center including a 439-meter-tall skyscraper, according to the developer Shenzhen Kingkey Group.

    Another three “nail house” owners are having further negotiation with the developers, according to report of local media.

    Dispute between house owners and the developers has long been avital problem in resettlement work. Early April, a couple in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality became media focus by winning a battle with developers after achieving an additional compensation.

    Experts believe that the contradiction reflects a growing dissatisfaction among common people about the way sites are commandeered and buildings demolished.

    China passed its landmark property law in March with a new emphasis on the protection of private property. The law is to become effective from October 1.

Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — Top negotiator of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Chun Yung-woo said here Sunday the denuclearization process of the Korean peninsula will not be influenced by the uncertainty whether a final joint document will be reached or not.

    Working groups on the denuclearization process have reached a host of agreements so far, but each parties have “different opinions” on “what could be disclosed and what could not,” Cun said.

    Chun said those disagreements are not disparities on basic contents of the six parties. “If they fail to pass final document, it’s only because the parties could not reach consensus on which part to be publicized.”

    The top envoy said whether the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) would implement the agreement depends on the “interest balance” between DPRK and the other five countries, namely host China, the United State, the ROK, Russia and Japan.

    ”With this balance already in place, it is not important whether there will be a final document or not,” he said.

    He said his DPRK counterpart Kim Kye Gwan had promised the DPRK will implement its denuclearization commitment no matter whether there is a final document.

Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — All parties will discuss the draft joint document during Sunday’s chief negotiators’ meeting and they will do their utmost to reach an agreement, Japan’s head delegate to the six-party talks Kenichiro Sasae said here Sunday.

    Sasae said all countries have their own concerns, but to solve the issues that should be solved is good for them.

    ”Of course all sides could not agree on every detail,” he said, “but trying to reach consensus is our job and it’s important to keep the efforts to this end.”

    He said he hoped the final joint document could reflect to the largest extent the opinions of all parties.

    DALIAN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese rescuers have found no traces of the six sailors who were reported missing after two ships collided on Saturday in the Bohai Sea off Huludao, northeastern Liaoning Province, local maritime authorities said on Sunday.

    The search which began on Saturday will continue on Sunday, said an official from the Maritime Search and Salvage Center of Liaoning Province, adding that cleaning up of the fuel oil leaked from the sunken ships will be carried out simultaneously.

    But experts of maritime salvage said that the chance is slim for the six missing to survive.

    The two vessels, used for carrying sand, collided and capsized at about 8:00 a.m. off the coast of the Huludao City, and altogether 22 sailors fell into the Bohai Sea, said a spokesman with the Liaoning Maritime Affairs Bureau. Sixteen sailors have been rescued.

    Cause of the collision is being investigated.

Special Report: The sixth round of six-party talks

    BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — U.S. chief negotiator to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue Christopher Hill said Sunday morning that the talks negotiators will discuss “a joint statement or a statement by the chair”.

    There will be a delegation heads’ meeting on Sunday morning to rehearse a draft document, Hill said.

    ”I don’t know if we will have a joint statement, I don’t know if we will have a statement by the chair,” he added, referring to a possible statement that the talks negotiators will possibly issue Sunday.

    ”I’m pretty confident that we know what the next steps will be, and we have an understanding that will take us through tothe end of the year with respect to disablement and declaration,” he told reporters.

    The talks that involve China, the United States, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, is scheduled to run from Thursday to Sunday.