On
DPRK, China's
Li Meets US,
Close to
Punishing So
Back to
Normal Track
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS, March
1 – Chinese
Permanent
Representative
to the UN Li
Baodong,
negotiating a
resolution on
the North
Korean nuclear
test,
met with “the
US this
morning in
consultations,
now we are
close,”
Li told Inner
City Press
midday on
March 1.
Li
continued,
“both sides
are ready to
send a strong
signal against
that
nuclear
program, they
cannot walk
away without
any
punishment.”
Inner
City Press
asked if this
would involve
new sanctions
under Chapter
7
of the UN
Charter.
Li
replied, “New
sanctions.” He
paused. “This
is our
position.
China is a
country of
principle.
This is
different
thing, against
the will of
the
international
community,
detrimental to
peace and
stability. For
years we
persuade them
to end that
program.”
Still,
Li told Inner
City Press,
“resolution or
sanctions
should be part
of a
comprehensive
strategy to
bring back
that country
to normal
track.
Engagement and
diplomacy
should be the
primary
options.”
Li
and two
members of
China's
Mission to the
UN were on the
way to meet
Vitaly Churkin
of Russia,
Security
Council
president for
March.
February's
Council
President Kim
Sook of South
Korea told
Inner City
Press of
the “hot
potato” of the
North Korean
nuclear test
being dealt
with during
his month, or
handed off to
Russia. Now
it's been
handed
over.
Russia
has scheduled
for March 19 a
ministerial
level debate,
involving
Minister
Sergey Lavrov,
on the topic
of
Afghanistan.
Watch this
site.
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