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The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan will visit North Korea next week as a special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, raising hopes that the reclusive country could set a date for its return to six-party talks on its nuclear program. Before that, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be in Beijing to discuss reconvening the stalled talks.
A high ranking South Korean official said there were hopes that North Korea, around the weekend after Rice's trip, could set a date for the restart of the talks. After Beijing this Saturday and Sunday, Rice¡¯s whistlestop tour takes in Tokyo on Monday and Seoul on Tuesday.
Tang is a veteran official who has served as Chinese foreign minister. In his capacity as Hu¡¯s envoy he is likely to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who could use the opportunity to announce his country¡¯s return to the negotiating table. Pyongyang announced its participation in the last round of talks immediately after visits by high-ranking Chinese figures.
Now that Tang seems to be going to the North on nuclear business, Hu himself may visit Pyongyang separately to discuss other issues, possibly, as Beijing has hinted, before his November visit to Seoul.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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