DATE=1/12/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244061
TITLE=CHINA / NORTH KOREA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  CHINA SAYS A KEY NUCLEAR AGREEMENT NORTH KOREA HAS 
THREATENED TO SCRAP IS WORKING WELL AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE 
IMPLEMENTED.  V-O-A  CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS BEIJING
HAS RENEWED ITS PLEDGE TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN REDUCING 
TENSIONS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.

TEXT:  NORTH KOREA TUESDAY THREATENED TO ABANDON THE SO-CALLED 
AGREED FRAMEWORK -- A 1994 PACT UNDER WHICH IT PROMISED TO FREEZE
AND EVENTUALLY DISMANTLE ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.  IN EXCHANGE, A 
CONSORTIUM MADE UP OF THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA 
PLEDGED TO SUPPLY COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND FUEL OIL 
SUPPLIES TO PYONGYANG.  BUT NORTH KOREA SAYS THE UNITED STATES 
HAS NOT KEPT ITS END OF THE BARGAIN.

SOUTH KOREAN AND U-S DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAID THE NORTH KOREAN 
THREAT -- WHICH WAS DELIVERED THROUGH AN EDITORIAL IN PYONGYANG'S
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER -- WAS A ROUTINE RHETORICAL BLAST IN ADVANCE 
OF CRUCIAL TALKS THIS WEEKEND.   NORTH KOREAN AND U-S DIPLOMATS 
ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET IN GENEVA ON SATURDAY TO DISCUSS U-S 
SUSPICIONS THAT PYONGYANG IS REVIVING ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.  THAT 
MEETING IS TO BE FOLLOWED BY FOUR-PARTY TALKS INVOLVING NORTH AND
SOUTH KOREA, CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES, THAT ARE AIMED AT 
ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT PEACE ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.

ASKED FOR BEIJING'S REACTION TO THE LATEST NORTH KOREAN THREAT, A
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN DID NOT CRITICIZE NORTH KOREA.
BUT HE INDICATED CHINA SUPPORTS THE AGREED FRAMEWORK.  SPOKESMAN 
SUN YUXI --SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER--SAID THE PACT IS 
WORKING REASONABLY WELL.

            //INTERPRETER ACTUALITY//

 I AM OF THE VIEW THAT SINCE THE AGREED FRAMEWORK (WAS) SIGNED, 
THE TWO SIDES AND RELEVANT PARTIES HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IT 
(IN) REAL EARNEST.

            //END ACTUALITY//

U-S AND SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS SAY CHINA --THOUGH NOT A SIGNATORY
TO THE AGREED FRAMEWORK-- HAS CONSISTENTLY TRIED TO INFLUENCE 
NORTH KOREA TO TAKE A MORE-CONSTRUCTIVE STANCE IN ITS 
NEGOTIATIONS WITH ITS COUNTERPARTS.  MR. SUN SAYS CHINA --WHICH 
HAS GOOD RELATIONS WITH BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH  KOREA--WILL 
CONTINUE TO TRY TO EASE TENSIONS ON THE PENINSULA.

          //INTERPRETER ACTUALITY//

 IT IS OUR HOPE THAT, WHETHER IT IS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
AGREED FRAMEWORK OR ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PERMANENT PEACE 
THERE, WE CAN WORK ON THE BASIS OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS WE HAVE 
ALREADY MADE.

          //END ACTUALITY//

TENSION HAS INCREASED ON THE PENINSULA SINCE NORTH KOREA FIRED A 
MISSILE OVER JAPAN IN AUGUST.  PYONGYANG HAS ALSO REFUSED TO 
GRANT ACCESS TO WHAT THE UNITED STATES SUSPECTS IS A VAST 
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR COMPLEX, UNLESS WASHINGTON PAYS IT 300 
MILLION DOLLARS.  (SIGNED)

NEB/RW/GC/FC

12-Jan-99 6:26 AM EST (1126 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.