By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States Wednesday called on China to exert more influence in urging North Korea to foster the atmosphere to resume six-party talks on its denuclearization.

   "China has a special and leading role to play in trying to push North Korea to be a more constructive player in this process," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. "China has a special responsibility. It has been a leader within the six-party process. We will look to China to demonstrate leadership going forward. China has had recent high-level meetings with the North Koreans."

   Crowley was referring to last week's meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Chinese President Hu Jintao, the second in three months. Kim reportedly made the surprise trip to northeastern China to pave the way for a smooth power transition to his youngest son.

   The North leader's heir apparent, Jong-un, 27, is believed to have accompanied his father to China. Beijing officials neither confirmed nor denied Jong-un made the trip, just saying he was not on the list of official delegates.

   During the meeting, Kim Jong-il reiterated his denuclearization pledge and called for early resumption of the six-party talks, according to Chinese state-run media.

   Emerging from a meeting with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Chinese chief nuclear envoy Wu Dawei told reporters, "Six-party talks are an important way to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula."

   Wu urged "relevant parties to make efforts for early resumption of the six-party talks," saying, "We now have many difficulties toward the resumption of the six-party talks."

   In recent weeks, Wu has traveled to Pyongyang, Seoul and Tokyo and called on Washington to hold more high-level talks with Pyongyang before proceeding with another round of six-party negotiations.

   Crowley did not respond directly to Wu's proposal.

   "We're certain that China has its own ideas on how to proceed from where we are to a better place," he said. "We have our own ideas. Other countries also have their thoughts on how to move forward. We'll have further consultations in the upcoming weeks, as we evaluate what we think the next steps should be."

   Crowley reiterated that North Korea must foster the right atmosphere for resumption of nuclear talks.

   "We are prepared to engage North Korea, but North Korea has to demonstrate that that engagement is going to be constructive," he said. "It will be up to North Korea to demonstrate that it is prepared to cease its belligerent behavior, live up to its obligations, begin to take actions associated with the 2005 joint statement. We're not going to talk just to talk."

   South Korea said recently that North Korea's apology for the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan is not a precondition for nuclear talks to resume, but still called on Pyongyang to restart the disabling of its nuclear facilities and reinstate inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. North Korea has denied the outcome of an international probe into the sinking, which was blamed on a torpedo fired by a North Korean mini-submarine.

   North Korea reversed the disabling process for its nuclear facilities early last year when it was hit with United Nations sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests. The disabling was part of a six-party deal signed in 2005 by the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia for the North's eventual nuclear dismantlement in return for massive economic and energy aid and diplomatic recognition by Washington and Pyongyang.

   Wu also met with Stephen Bosworth, special representative for North Korea policy; Sung Kim, U.S. envoy to the six-party talks; and Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

   South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Wi Sung-lac, will fly to Washington on Thursday, Crowley said.

   "We can also announce that, on Friday, Deputy Secretary Steinberg will meet with Wi Sung-lac, who is the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace here at the Department of State, on the morning of Sept. 3," Crowley said.

   On a report that North Korea has been trying to avoid sanctions by changing the names of North Korean companies listed by the U.S. Treasury Department, Crowley said, "There is this cat-and-mouse process that does go on. We're not surprised that North Korea will try to respond and hide its activities."

   In response to the Cheonan's sinking, Washington Monday released a list of several more North Korean entities and individuals involved in weapons of mass destruction and other activities banned by the U.N. The list includes "Office 39" of the North's ruling Workers Party, which is believed to manage slush funds for Kim Jong-il.

   "But we are confident, working with the international community on implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and additional national steps that we've taken, that not only governments but also the private sector will be very wary of doing business with North Korea, for fear that they will trigger sanctions against themselves," Crowley said.

   Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control who oversees U.S. sanctions on North Korea and Iran, is likely to fly to Beijing soon to seek Chinese support for new sanctions on North Korea and Iran.

   China, a key to effective sanctions on Pyongyang because it is a lifeline to its impoverished communist neighbor as the major provider of fuel, food and other necessities, has been reluctant to impose sanctions on North Korea.

   On former President Jimmy Carter's meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday, Crowley said, "President Carter was here, spent just about an hour with Secretary Clinton, shared his views of his private trip. And we will keep his insights private."

   Carter flew to Pyongyang last week and brought back Aijalon Gomes, an American teacher who was detained there for months for trespassing. But Carter was unable to meet with Kim Jong-il to thwart expectations that the former U.S. president will try to promote his own agenda for a breakthrough in the stalled nuclear talks and soured U.S. relations with the North.
hdh@yna.co.kr

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