Yair blog

Japan's top N.Korea envoy to visit China Tuesday

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan will send its top North Korea envoy to China on Tuesday, where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei, the foreign ministry said.

"Akitaka Saiki, chief of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, will visit China from Tuesday and exchange opinions with Wu Dawei, special representative on the Korean Peninsular Affairs," the ministry said in a statement.

Tensions have spiked on the divided peninsula after the North last week shelled a South Korean border island, killing four people and wounding 18 in the first bombardment of a civilian area in the South since the Korean war.

China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, on Sunday proposed "emergency consultations" in Beijing early next month among chief envoys to the stalled six-nation talks on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament.

It has stressed that the proposal did not constitute a formal resumption of the negotiations, but says it hopes they would lead to such a resumption soon.

Japan has expressed reluctance over the talks, saying it cannot be "positive towards consultations" unless the North faces up to its responsibility for the attack and its nuclear activities.

The White House on Monday brushed aside China's call for new six-nation talks on North Korea, saying it would amount to "PR activity" unless Pyongyang changed its behaviour.

South Korea and Russia are also involved in the six-party talks but Washington has urged North Korea to stop what it describes as provocative behaviour before they can resume.

Details of a meeting between Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were also under discussion Tokyo said Tuesday.

"This is an initiative taken by State Secretary Clinton," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told reporters.

"I hear that its schedule is being arranged now. The Japanese government will take part in it proactively and hopes that the meeting will deepen the cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States in more specific and practical ways."