According to the paper, Joseph R. DeTrani, the special envoy for negotiations with North Korea, would discuss plans for the six-party talks and their associated working group talks with Chinese high officials in Beijing.

The Washington Post reported that DeTrani received orders from his superiors to make clear to Chinese officials that China does not have the authority to represent U.S. positions to the North Koreans. Quoting a U.S. official, it reported, "U.S. officials have been frequently dismayed that the Chinese have mischaracterized U.S. positions to the North Koreans, leading to confusion."

According to the Washington Post, one Asian official who requested anonymity said the six party talks are supposed to focus on the "first steps for dismantlement," but "various people have various interpretations of what 'first steps' means."

The Chinese are calling for a "step-by-step approach" that starts by addressing North Korea's plutonium facilities, but DiTrani plans to make it clear to the Chinese that any proposal starting with the plutonium program would be unacceptable to the United States, the paper reported. The U.S. is calling for the North's uranium programs to be dealt with together with its plutonium programs.

DiTrani was also instructed not to discuss a nuclear freeze during this meeting with Chinese officials. South Korea and China have floated the idea of a short "freeze" period.

During the Beijing six-party talks in June, the U.S. said U.S. allies like South Korea could immediately provide energy aid to North Korea if the North declared it would end its nuclear programs.

The U.S. plan is for North Korea to reveal all its nuclear programs over the course of three months and allow those programs to be inspected by U.S. intelligence authorities. After that, the U.S. would provide the security guarantees to North Korea and participate in a process that would ultimately lead to normalization of relations with the North.

(englishnews@chosun.com )