Reply #72: Analysis: Beijing wooed to influence Pyongyang [View All]

[54anickel]

http://wpherald.com/articles/983/1/Analysis-Beijing-wooed-to-influence-Pyongyang/Kim-Jong-Il-reported-to-visit-China-soon.html

SEOUL -- With nuclear and missile tensions growing, top leaders from South Korea, North Korea and the United States are trying to meet with Chinese officials to woo Beijing's influence.

China, the largest ideological partner and economic supporter of North Korea, is widely considered to have the biggest leverage over the Kim Jong Il regime. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun plans to visit Beijing in mid-October for a summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss ways to deal with North Korea's nuclear program, Seoul's diplomatic chief said Thursday.

"President Roh hopes to have close consultations (with Hu) in Beijing on bilateral economic cooperation as well as the North Korean nuclear problem," Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told a Seoul forum.

"China is not only economically important but also a partner to play a constructive role in resolving the nuclear issue and promoting security on the Korean peninsula," he said.

Roh's visit would come on the heels of his summit with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington on Sept. 14, which will be focused on reviving multinational efforts to denuclearize North Korea.

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