From East Asia Intel, subscription. North KoreaÂ’s government recently rebuffed appeals from senior Chinese officials to return to the six-party nuclear talks, and Beijing rewarded the intransigence with additional cash payments.
Here, have some money, Kimmie. Keep the pot boiling on the Peninsula.
The appeal was made during the visit in late August by Chinese State Counselor Tang Jiaxuan who had carried a personal letter for Kim from Chinese President Hu Jintao. Tang was snubbed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.
"Just leave the briefcase full of
The North Korea action did not deter Tang from offering an additional cash payment to the North Korea, sources said.
U.S. officials viewed the Tang visit and the North Korean response as a clear sign that North Korea is no longer interested in taking part in the six-party nuclear talks with China, the United States, Japan, Russia and South Korea.
Neither is the US. They are catering affairs with no substance.
Despite the negative treatment of Tang, China is still opposed to using its leverage against the Kim regime, which is heavily reliant on Chinese aide, to force Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. “The Chinese don’t want sanctions,” one official said. “They just want to talk and the North Koreans are not responding.”
And that is just what the ChiComs want. Talk talk talk. Wear down the allies.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said there is no evidence that Kim Jong-Il recently traveled to China, although they did not rule out the possibility that the North Korean leader had made a secret trip.
Publicly announced trips could get him splattered all over the railway tracks by his many enemies.
The arrival of a special train that had previously transported Kim to the North Korean-Chinese border had triggered reports of a visit to China. One official said that it was possible that Kim visited China, but it would have meant that Beijing was able to carry out the visit in utmost secrecy. “They would have to be very, very good to have pulled that off,” the official said.
| They are very, very good at intel and quiet ops. |