China, Russia shun US-hosted Asia security talks
UNITED NATIONS: China and Russia shunned the United States by
boycotting U.S.-hosted talks on North East Asian security issues that
also focused on North Korea's nuclear program.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill told reporters the
United States did not see China and Russia's decision not to attend the
meeting as a snub. "They did not say it was for policy reasons," he
said, adding that seven other countries had been there.
"The secretary has seen China and Russia throughout the week -
breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said, referring to Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, who hosted the talks.
Attendees at the meeting, held on the sidelines of the U.N. General
Assembly, were the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea,
Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
North Korea was also invited but did not attend, just as they have
stayed away since last November from six-party talks on Pyongyang's
nuclear ambitions after the United States slapped financial sanctions on
them.
The six-party talks bring together China, Russia, Japan, the two
Koreas and the United States.
Thursday's meeting, which lasted about an hour, was intended as a
follow-up to similar North Asian security talks in Malaysia last July on
the sidelines of an Asian regional conference. China arrived late to
that meeting, saying it had been trying to get North Korea to attend.
Hill made clear the talks held on Thursday and last July were not
intended to replace the six-party process and he reiterated a call for
Pyongyang to return to those discussions, saying all other participants
were ready.
"It is not designed to be a substitute," he added.
He said Thursday's meeting was also aimed at showing North Korea
there was broader concern about its nuclear programs and demonstrated
that while Pyongyang could boycott the six-party process it could not
veto other discussions.
Countries attending the meeting were urged to implement a U.N.
Security Council resolution passed after North Korea test-fired seven
missiles into the sea in July.
Member states were mandated to prevent the transfer of technology or
financial resources related to Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction
programs. Australia and Japan did that this week and told the meeting
about the measures.
New York, Friday, Reuters |