- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 1,583
- Points
- 48
He is pushing for a new Korean War.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/world/asia/24diplo.html?src=me
U.S. Presses China to Punish North Korea for Ship
Pool photograph by Aly Song
Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton visited a Boeing maintenance facility at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport on Sunday.
By MARK LANDLER
Published: May 23, 2010
BEIJING — The United States began pressing the Chinese on Sunday to back punitive measures against North Korea over strong evidence it had torpedoed a South Korean warship, but American officials acknowledged China’s reluctance to discipline its isolated neighbor.
Kicking off three days of high-level economic and security meetings here, the United States also sought to secure Chinese support for United Nations sanctions against Iran that would designate individuals and companies with ties to its nuclear and missile programs.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met over dinner with Dai Bingguo, a state councilor of China who oversees foreign affairs, and raised the South Korean government report that formally accused the North of torpedoing the ship, the Cheonan, in March, killing 46 sailors.
“We want them to take some steps in the international arena to underscore the seriousness of the matter,” said a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. But he added, “We have to be realistic about what we can expect.”
The Chinese government, the official said, was still digesting the findings of the investigation, which was aided by the United States and other countries. China has reacted with extreme caution, waiting for days to express sorrow to South Korea for the loss of the crew and expressing skepticism about North Korea’s role.
Mrs. Clinton shared information from the investigation with Mr. Dai, the official said. While he said the Chinese were receptive, they had yet to commit to concrete steps against the North. He said that the historic ties between the two countries would make that difficult.
On Monday, South Korea announced that it was suspending nearly all trade with North Korea, restricting North Korean merchant shipping access to South Korean sea lanes, and seeking a Security Council resolution condemning the attack. China’s support for such a resolution is viewed as critical because it holds a veto in the Council and because it exerts influence over North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il.
But in a sign of China’s reluctance, the American official said the Chinese offered few details about Mr. Kim, even though he visited China by train only a few weeks ago and was met by President Hu Jintao.
“For China, they are in somewhat uncharted waters, for at least this generation of policy makers,” said the official, who called the sinking an “extraordinarily serious armistice violation.”
On Iran, the United States is pushing to get China’s support for amendments to a draft Security Council resolution that would impose a fourth set of sanctions on Tehran for its defiance of United Nations nuclear inspectors. Those amendments single out individuals and companies — many affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps — with ties to the nuclear program.
Last Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton announced that China had joined the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany in backing additional sanctions against Iran. But there are still unresolved issues relating to China’s extensive investments in Iran’s oil and gas industries.
Mrs. Clinton, the official said, wanted to be “clear about what our expectations are and how to make sure we get across the finish line.”
Nearly 200 American officials have descended on Beijing. Mrs. Clinton is jointly leading the delegation with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, who met on Sunday with Wang Qishan, the vice premier for economic policy.
Mr. Geithner plans to press China to drop trade barriers and to shift its economy toward domestic consumption, which the United States says is important for evening trade imbalances. On the latter score, he said Sunday that China was making strides. “It looks as if there has been a durable shift towards domestic consumption in China,” he said.
Mrs. Clinton did her part to pitch American exports on Sunday, visiting a Boeing maintenance facility in Shanghai to urge China to open its markets and protect intellectual property.
“American companies want to compete in China,” she said. “They want to sell goods made by American workers to Chinese consumers with rising incomes and increasing demand.”
To do that, she said, the United States needs a “level playing field where domestic and international companies can compete freely and openly.” Without singling out China, she called for transparency in rule-making, greater market access for foreign companies and non-discrimination against foreign companies in government contracts.
Michael Wines contributed reporting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/world/asia/24diplo.html?src=me
U.S. Presses China to Punish North Korea for Ship
Pool photograph by Aly Song
Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton visited a Boeing maintenance facility at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport on Sunday.
By MARK LANDLER
Published: May 23, 2010
BEIJING — The United States began pressing the Chinese on Sunday to back punitive measures against North Korea over strong evidence it had torpedoed a South Korean warship, but American officials acknowledged China’s reluctance to discipline its isolated neighbor.
Kicking off three days of high-level economic and security meetings here, the United States also sought to secure Chinese support for United Nations sanctions against Iran that would designate individuals and companies with ties to its nuclear and missile programs.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met over dinner with Dai Bingguo, a state councilor of China who oversees foreign affairs, and raised the South Korean government report that formally accused the North of torpedoing the ship, the Cheonan, in March, killing 46 sailors.
“We want them to take some steps in the international arena to underscore the seriousness of the matter,” said a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. But he added, “We have to be realistic about what we can expect.”
The Chinese government, the official said, was still digesting the findings of the investigation, which was aided by the United States and other countries. China has reacted with extreme caution, waiting for days to express sorrow to South Korea for the loss of the crew and expressing skepticism about North Korea’s role.
Mrs. Clinton shared information from the investigation with Mr. Dai, the official said. While he said the Chinese were receptive, they had yet to commit to concrete steps against the North. He said that the historic ties between the two countries would make that difficult.
On Monday, South Korea announced that it was suspending nearly all trade with North Korea, restricting North Korean merchant shipping access to South Korean sea lanes, and seeking a Security Council resolution condemning the attack. China’s support for such a resolution is viewed as critical because it holds a veto in the Council and because it exerts influence over North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il.
But in a sign of China’s reluctance, the American official said the Chinese offered few details about Mr. Kim, even though he visited China by train only a few weeks ago and was met by President Hu Jintao.
“For China, they are in somewhat uncharted waters, for at least this generation of policy makers,” said the official, who called the sinking an “extraordinarily serious armistice violation.”
On Iran, the United States is pushing to get China’s support for amendments to a draft Security Council resolution that would impose a fourth set of sanctions on Tehran for its defiance of United Nations nuclear inspectors. Those amendments single out individuals and companies — many affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps — with ties to the nuclear program.
Last Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton announced that China had joined the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany in backing additional sanctions against Iran. But there are still unresolved issues relating to China’s extensive investments in Iran’s oil and gas industries.
Mrs. Clinton, the official said, wanted to be “clear about what our expectations are and how to make sure we get across the finish line.”
Nearly 200 American officials have descended on Beijing. Mrs. Clinton is jointly leading the delegation with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, who met on Sunday with Wang Qishan, the vice premier for economic policy.
Mr. Geithner plans to press China to drop trade barriers and to shift its economy toward domestic consumption, which the United States says is important for evening trade imbalances. On the latter score, he said Sunday that China was making strides. “It looks as if there has been a durable shift towards domestic consumption in China,” he said.
Mrs. Clinton did her part to pitch American exports on Sunday, visiting a Boeing maintenance facility in Shanghai to urge China to open its markets and protect intellectual property.
“American companies want to compete in China,” she said. “They want to sell goods made by American workers to Chinese consumers with rising incomes and increasing demand.”
To do that, she said, the United States needs a “level playing field where domestic and international companies can compete freely and openly.” Without singling out China, she called for transparency in rule-making, greater market access for foreign companies and non-discrimination against foreign companies in government contracts.
Michael Wines contributed reporting.
