Obama, Hu agree to cooperate closely over N. Korea's threats: White House

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President
Hu Jintao discussed on Wednesday North Korea's latest threats, the White House
said.
"President Obama described to President Hu his concerns over recent actions by
North Korea and threats to Pakistan by militant extremists and terrorists," the
White House said in a statement released on the outcome of a telephone
conversation between the two leaders.
"The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch with each other on these important
issues."
The call comes amid threats by North Korea to abandon the six-party
denuclearization talks, restart its nuclear facilities and conduct further
nuclear and ballistic missile tests unless the U.N. Security Council apologizes
for its condemnation of Pyongyang's April 5 rocket launch.
North Korea reversed the disabling process of its nuclear facilities soon after
the Security Council denounced the launch and tightened financial and trade
embargoes on three North Korean companies for their involvement in the trade of
missile parts and components of weapons of mass destruction.
The disabling was a key part of a six-party deal in which the North was supposed
to denuclearize itself in return for heavy fuel oil shipments and other benefits.
Some U.S. officials and experts believe that Pyongyang will conduct a second
nuclear test following the first test in 2006. North Korea also fired long-range
rockets in 1998, 2006 and 2009.
The North's threats are seen as a strategy to up the ante ahead of possible
bilateral talks with the U.S. in a breakaway from the six-nation nuclear forum.
The Bill Clinton administration engaged North Korea bilaterally to resolve the
North's nuclear and missile issues. The ensuing George W. Bush administration
suspended the talks for six years and came up with the six-party format.
Pyongyang may also fear the growing influence of China, the host of the six-party
talks, on the impoverished, reclusive North, whose economy has been greatly
dependent on China.
State Department spokesman Robert Wood hinted last week that the U.S. could
undertake bilateral nuclear negotiations with North Korea, saying, "If we have to
look at other options, you know, diplomatic options, we certainly will."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier had described chances of North
Korea returning to the six-party talks as "implausible if not impossible."
Against this backdrop, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy,
Stephen Bosworth, Wednesday embarked on a weeklong tour of Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo
and Moscow, members of the six-party talks, to discuss the resumption of the
nuclear negotiations. He will return on May 14.
Wood said Tuesday that Bosworth "has no current plans to visit North Korea," but
added, "The delegation's meetings schedule is still being arranged."
Bosworth had hoped to visit Pyongyang in early March during his first Asian trip
since taking office, but the travel proposal was rejected by the North for
unknown reasons.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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