Beijing (AsiaNews/agencies) China today presented a draft joint declaration to delegations of the six nations participating in the latest round of talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis, which opened on 26 July in Beijing. According to the South Korean and Japanese delegations, the talks will be drawn out at length, even if China's initiative may mark the first prospect of a resolution to the crisis. Among other developments, North Korea has rejected a proposal from Seoul for energy supply starting from 2008 in exchange for halting Pyongyang's nuclear research.
The bill presented by China contains a clause which grants North Korea permission to possess nuclear plants using light water with western technology exclusively for pacific use, but only after it would have completely dismantled its plants geared towards possible military use.
The two Koreas, China and Russia are in favour of the wording of the draft declaration. The United States would however be against allowing North Korea to possess nuclear plants with light water, while Japan is insisting on introducing in the talks the matter of restitution from Pyongyang for Japanese civilians kidnapped in the seventies and eights to instruct North Korean spies.
