China, US begin fresh talks on N Korea nuke issue

BEIJING: China on Saturday began fresh round of talks with United States on the North Korean nuclear issue after receiving signals that Pyongyang may be in the process of reassembling the Yonbgyon nuclear reactor, which had earlier been dismantled under a six-nation agreement.

The meeting began in the backdrop of another meeting being held in Vienna where the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group is engaged in discussing the India-US nuclear deal.

China had earlier said that the India-US deal would influence other nuclear energy related debates concerning countries like North Korea and Iran.

China's chief envoy in the nuclear talks, Wu Dawei today held a meeting in Beijing with the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to discuss North Korea's objection to the system of verification drafted during the six-party talks.

Hill also met South Korean and Japanese envoys yesterday to find ways on implementing the verification mechanism at the earliest, sources said.

There was no clear sign of a North Korean envoy arriving in Beijing for talks with the US and Chinese representatives.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified diplomat as saying North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye-gwan, had not arrived in Beijing as was expected.

Hill told reporters that he was open to the idea of discussing with the North Korean envoy the objections raised by Pyongyang on the verification mechanism.