US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged China to use its “terrible effect” to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, adding that Washington was considering both pressures and options diplomat to deal with Pyongyang.
Blinken was speaking at the end of high-profile security talks in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, on Thursday, hours after a North Korean diplomat denied any talks until the U.S. changed the their “hostile” policies.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as well as South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook consulted in the security talks in Seoul.
The so-called “two more than two” meeting, the first of its kind in five years, is part of US President Joe Biden’s attempt to restore Washington’s alliances in Asia. despite growing challenges from China and North Korea.
Blinken and Austin had visited Japan before coming to Seoul.
A leading U.S. diplomat told a meeting with South Korean officials that China has a “crucial role to play” in forcing North Korea to attract nuclear as most trade is on the other side. outside North Korea passing through China.
“Beijing has a clear, self-interested interest in helping to pursue the denuclearization of [North Korea] because it is a source of instability. It is a threat and obviously a threat to ourselves and our partners, ”he said.
The Biden administration will shortly complete its review of North Korean policy in consultation with South Korea, Japan and other allies, Blinken said, and that would include “re- the initiation of pressure options and the potential for future diplomacy ”.
He declined to comment when asked what approach the U.S. would take after the investigation.
‘Everything is on the table’
But when asked at a separate online roundtable by Korean journalists whether Biden would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Blinken said Washington is examining how it will take on North Korea. improve denuclearization by considering both “different types of pressure points” and diplomacy.
“In a sense, everything is on the table. We have a very open mind about it,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Choe Son Hui, North Korea’s first deputy foreign minister, confirmed Blinken’s previous news that Washington had reached out to Pyongyang through several channels starting there. in mid-February.
Choe described the U.S. arrival as a “delay ploy” and said North Korea would continue to avoid similar offers for talks until Washington withdraws hostility.
Asked about Choe’s statement, Blinken said he was aware of it but said he was more interested in the thoughts and ideas of U.S. friends and partners while making the regional tour.
Following talks on Thursday, the U.S. and South Korea issued a joint statement, pledging to work together to address North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile issues as well as the challenges posed by a pandemic. coronavirus and climate change.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride said that while the statement reaffirmed the commitment of the US and South Korea to their 70-year alliance, “there are still differences between the two alliances” on policies towards North Korea. and China.
On Pyongyang, Blinken said Washington’s strategy would not only address security concerns but also the North Korean government’s “widespread” anthrax of its people.
That line appears harder than the stance taken by the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose campaigners had been accused of over the North Korean human rights issue as they try to develop ties and pursue a summit with Kim.
Moon has called on Biden to build on the progress Kim and Trump have made since their unprecedented conference in Singapore in 2018, which South Korea’s foreign minister said could be the basis for future talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
“We believe that Singapore’s agreement deserves enough consideration as it has fundamental principles for developing relations between North Korea and the US, developing peace and achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” Chung said. to the meeting.
China’s ‘aggressive behavior’
On Beijing, Blinken – while reaffirming its role in convincing North Korea denuclearization – blamed China for undermining regional stability and security by the ” aggressive and authoritative behavior ”.
He also called for unity among allies to oppose China.
South Korea, however, is reluctant to push China, which is Al Jazeera ‘s largest economic partner, McBride said.
But while the US-South Korea statement did not “really mention China by name,” there were references to the need to respect international law, open and free Indo-Pacific must be keep “, he noted.
“This is a strong reference to the claims that China is making aggressive territorial claims in the East and South China Sea,” McBride said.
Beijing has reiterated Blinken-like comments in Tokyo, and his renewed criticism came ahead of his first personal encounters with Chinese peers in Alaska on Thursday.
China’s ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, said: “We don’t have too high hopes,” for Alaska’s talks to resolve the China-US issues. Cui remained of the hope that the meeting would be “a starting point and that both sides can start an honest, helpful and truthful dialogue process”.
But China’s foreign ministry said Thursday it would not make discounts to the U.S. on key issues ahead of the Alaska meeting.
“China has no room to compromise on issues of sovereignty, security and core interests,” Zhao Lijian told reporters.