CHINA / China
Commentary: Return to nuclear talks
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-10 06:15
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defied the international
community and tested its first nuclear weapon yesterday morning.
Although it had publicized its intentions last week, the news of the test
came as a bombshell, in disregard of warnings from the United Nations
Security Council.
A presidential statement from the Council urged the DPRK not to undertake
such a test and to refrain from any action that might aggravate tension.
The DPRK’s latest manoeuvre has invited condemnation and concern from the
international community.
China reacted with emphatic disapproval to the DPRK’s nuclear test, which
will leave international non-proliferation efforts in tatters.
An act showing no restraint, the test has made more unpredictable the
complexities of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The latest development is definitely not favourable for the DPRK. It will
not help the country address the stated concerns, particularly with
regard to strengthening its security.
Rather, the DPRK should abide by the necessary approach of diplomatic
channels several countries have worked on.
China began brokering a peaceful compromise in 2003, when the United
States accused the DPRK of covertly building atomic weapons and the DPRK
pulled out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Six-Party Talks are a diplomatic forum aimed at making a nuclear-free
Korean Peninsula.
At the previous talks among the six countries China, the DPRK, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States they reached their
first-ever joint statement, in which the DPRK agreed to abandon all its
nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in exchange for energy
aid and a security guarantee.
In conducting the nuclear weapon test yesterday, the DPRK went back on
its word in the statement and disregarded the guiding principles on
dealing with the nuclear issue. Its move will leave an early resumption
of the talks difficult.
This, however, should not necessarily mean that the international
community should discard the efforts to resume the talks.
It is of dire necessity to make the attempt, especially at this moment.
We suggest that the DPRK stop more excessive actions that will push the
situation on the Korean Peninsula to a more dangerous edge.
What the country can and should do is to return without preconditions to
the Six-Party Talks that have been seeking a peaceful solution to the
crisis stemming from its nuclear programme.
The international community’s call to the DPRK should not fall on deaf
ears. The parties concerned should work on the resolution of
non-proliferation concerns and to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive
solution through political and diplomatic efforts.
Before a solution is worked out, cool-headedness and restraint are a
prerequisite.
(China Daily 10/10/2006 page4)
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