But hey, at least we get to do it all again tomorrow. All six of the participating nations in the Beijing talks got to give their opening spiel, and the American and North Korean negotiators got to have a private chat afterwords, but in the end - nothing.
According to a report in the Korea Economic Daily, the atmosphere got pretty ugly following the opening addresses. So ugly, in fact, that there was fear that the talks might end right then and there. North Korea repeated its demand for a nonaggression pact, while the US repeated its demand that the North end its nuclear program. After the Chinese opening address, the two sides talked alone for a couple of minutes (over an hour according to YTN), yet the chat seems to have yielded little in terms of common ground. The two sides did, however, agree to try it all again tomorrow - praise the Lord.
James Kelly is reported to have said that if the North Koreans give up their nuclear program, the US was prepared to improve relations with Pyongyang, but he gave no specifics in terms of regime guarantees or economic aid, not wanting the North Koreans to believe that we are prepared to buy them off.
The North, on the other hand, said that if the US is willing to drop its hostile policies towards Pyongyang and enter into a legally enforceable nonaggression pact, then it was willing to make public its nuclear activities and solve the problem. If those conditions were not met, however, the North would not accept international inspectors (would they accept them even if the US acceded to their demands?) and have no choice but to develop their own nuclear deterrent.
These are going to be long talks - assuming they don’t rupture early.
South Korea, for its part, demanded that the North Koreans “verifiably” (Ha!) and “irreversibly” (Ha, ha!) end its nuclear program. In return, the South was willing to cooperate more with the North economically and increase food and energy aid to the Stalinist state (things Seoul will do regardless of how these talks end).
Something to pay attention to, however. The Joongang Ilbo reports that a new debating point - this one concerning a Korean Peninsula security system - may be discussed during these talks. During the welcoming dinner yesterday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for all to “make these talks a chance to bring lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula.” Also yesterday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said there is a need for a new arrangement to replace the Armistice Agreement that has been in place since 1953. Of course, the North Koreans have been demanding that the US sign a peace treaty with them for years, but any new arrangement would have to include the South Koreans - good luck getting Pyongyang to agree to something like that. Still, sounds kinda interesting, doesn’t it?
Anyway, Round II of this soap opera tomorrow.
