Chinese Assisted North Korean Nuke Program

Shock.

Which is disappointing, while not really out of character for the games-playing Chinese, but it does demonstrate the necessity of getting them on board with the program. North Korea will never stop its nuke program with China encouraging and even facilitating it.

hina helped North Korea develop nuclear weapons and in the past year increased its support to Pyongyang, rather than pressing the regime to halt nuclear arms and missile activities, according to a congressional report

The final draft report of the U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission also says that Chinese government-run companies are continuing to threaten U.S. national security by exporting arms to American enemies in Asia and the Middle East.

The report is based on public testimony and highly classified intelligence reports made available to its members and staff. It indirectly criticizes the Bush administration for failing to pressure Beijing into joining U.S.-led anti-proliferation programs and calls for Congress to take action to force the administration to do more.

"China has contributed at least indirectly to North Korea's nuclear program," the report stated, noting that China was a "primary supplier" to Pakistan's nuclear-arms program.

Ah, yes. Bush hasn't "pressured" China to stop proliferating.

The media gave Clinton a pass on China -- even when Clinton-donating corporations assisted China in improving their rocket technology -- with a shrug. "What can one do about China?" they said.

But they'll run with this, of course. Bush apparently need only snap his fingers to bring the billion-strong emerging superpower into line.

North Korea has meanwhile agreed to further "talks."

China, the United States and North Korea agreed in talks Tuesday to resume the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs "at a convenient time in the near future" after a break of almost a year, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.

Christopher Hill, U.S. head delegate to the six-party talks, told reporters after meeting with his Chinese and North Korean counterparts that while the precise date needs to be agreed by all six parties, he believes it will be "in November, or possibly in December."

The announcement was made after a series of meetings in the Chinese capital among Hill, who is U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan on the same day.

Hill said North Korea did not attach any conditions for returning to the talks, but added the United States agreed to set up a mechanism for addressing Pyongyang's main complaint -- financial sanctions imposed on entities suspected of laundering money and counterfeiting for North Korea.

"We agreed we will find a mechanism within the six-party process to address these financial measures, that there would probably be some kind of a working group to deal with this," he said.

Diplomats expressed their optimism that the resumed talks would prove both "futile" and "fruitless."

posted by Ace at 01:46 PM

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