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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il caused some head-scratching when he unexpectedly pledged not to break faith with China in a meeting with a high-ranking Chinese official. Kim met Chinese President Hu Jintao¡¯s special envoy Wang Jiarui, the head of the international department at the Central Committee of China¡¯s Communist Party, in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
According to China¡¯s Xinhua news agency, Kim said his country ¡°will not betray and break faith with China.¡± He told the Chinese special envoy that friendship between North Korean and China is a precious asset left by the two countries¡¯ former leaders.
Wang explicitly voiced dissatisfaction about North Korea¡¯s failure to meet the deadline for the disablement of its nuclear facilities under a series of six-nation denuclearization agreements, leading to yet another deadlock in the talks. Kim replied, ¡°The present difficulties are temporary and can be conquered.¡± He predicted the six-party nuclear talks will overcome the obstacles and move forward.
According to diplomatic sources in Beijing, Kim was declining Hu¡¯s invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 8. Diplomats said Kim was telling Wang in a roundabout way that he will not attend by simply wishing the host nation all the best.
Meanwhile, Wang visited the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex and the truce village of Panmunjeom. The South Korean Unification Ministry said Wang arrived in the industrial complex at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and visited two factories. After being briefed about the operations of the complex by the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee, Wang said the outlook for the complex was bright. He added the inter-Korean joint venture helps stimulate the North Korean economy and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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