hankyoreh

China's State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan on January 8 reported to hint that the six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program will resume shortly. His forecast is in line with the time frame suggested by U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who said recently that there are signs that the multilateral nuclear talks may be held within the month.

In a meeting with Japanese officials visiting Beijing, Tang said that the six-party talks will likely resume sooner rather than later, Japan's Kyodo News Agency quoted him as saying. China's Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said the following day that working-level negotiations will likely be held on January 21-22 in New York and the six-party talks could resume following those meetings if Washington and Pyongyang are in agreement, sources said.

However, the U.S. remains firm on the North Korean funds frozen at Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, one of the sticking points that has served as a roadblock to the six-party talks. The North has demanded the lifting of financial sanctions. The funds were frozen after the U.S. published a report in September 2005 saying that the North was keeping funds related to money laundering and counterfeiting at the Macau-based bank.

Japan's NHK media reported on January 9 that U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, in a meeting with his Japanese counterparts visiting the U.S., said that Washington has no intention to budge in negotiations with the North on the Banco Delta Asia issue.

Meanwhile, the Chosun Shinbo, the journal of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan ("Chongnyeon" in Korean), reported that an agreement between North Korea and the U.S. regarding the issue of financial sanctions imposed by the U.S. is a very important factor needed prior to resuming the six-party talks.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]