China Intent on Making Nuke Deal Happen http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6419681,00.html
Friday February 16, 2007
BEIJING (AP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao reiterated his country's commitment to helping implement an agreement signed this week during international nuclear talks aimed at persuading North Korea to disarm. Hu said in a telephone conversation late Thursday with President Bush that China was ``willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with the United States and other parties concerned ... to play a constructive role'' in the process, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
``A full implementation of the document is not only of great significance for safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia, but also serves the common interests of all parties concerned,'' Xinhua cited Hu as saying.
The disarmament pact reached Tuesday among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States is worth about $250 million in aid to the North. It requires Pyongyang to seal its main nuclear reactor, allow international inspections and begin accounting for other nuclear programs within 60 days.
In return, North Korea will receive 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, a down payment on a promised 1 million tons in oil or aid of a similar value if it ultimately disarms.
The agreement marks a turnabout for North Korea, which alarmed the world in October when it tested a nuclear device.
If the North follows through with its promises, they would be the first moves the communist state has made to scale back its atomic development since it kicked out international inspectors and restarted its sole operating nuclear reactor in 2003.
Earlier this week, Bush, who once labeled North Korea part of an ``axis of evil,'' said in a cautious statement that the accord was a promising first step toward getting rid of the North's nuclear weapons.
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