DATE=10/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / NORTH KOREA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254623
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  China's foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan begins a 
five-day visit to North Korea Tuesday, ostensibly to 
mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of 
diplomatic relations between the two Communist 
countries.  But as VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison 
reports, Western diplomats in Beijing say they expect 
Mr. Tang to press the North Koreans to curtail their 
nuclear ambitions.

TEXT:  China and North Korea share a long border and a 
long history as Communist comrades-in-arms.  But the 
alliance between the two countries - once described as 
being as close as lips and teeth -- has seen better 
days.  Whereas China has adopted economic reforms and 
opened up to the outside world, North Korea remains as 
committed as ever to hard-line communism, self-
reliance and a personality cult surrounding its 
leaders.  Pyongyang was deeply hurt by Beijing's 
decision in 1992 to establish diplomatic relations 
with South Korea.

China has refrained from publicly telling North Korea 
how to run its shattered economy.  But diplomats in 
Beijing say China is growing weary of giving aid to a 
government that shows few signs of wanting to fix its 
problems.  Last June, Beijing promised Pyongyang 150-
thousand tons of grain and 400-thousand tons of coal 
to tide it over its shortages of food and energy.  But 
diplomats say China gave the aid because it feels it 
must do everything possible to stave off a total 
economic collapse in North Korea.  The diplomats say 
Beijing's fear is that the steady flow of refugees now 
coming into China may become even bigger.

Mr. Tang is likely to discuss these bilateral issues 
with his North Korean hosts.  But Western diplomats 
say he will also urge them to comply with agreements 
allowing the United Nations to inspect North Korean 
nuclear programs.  Pyongyang came under criticism last 
week at the annual meeting of the International Atomic 
Energy Agency  - a U-N watchdog group - for failing to 
grant the agency's inspectors access to a suspected 
underground nuclear site.  International officials 
also fear North Korea may be destroying information 
about its nuclear program.

Western diplomats say China has played a useful role 
in United States-led efforts to stop North Korea from 
developing nuclear weapons.  But Washington's security 
concerns have more recently focused on trying to get 
Pyongyang to refrain from testing long-range missiles.  
The United States announced last month that it would 
relax its trade and investment embargo against North 
Korea after Pyongyang said it would  not  test any 
such missiles this year.

Beijing-based diplomats say China may  not  enjoy the 
degree of influence over North Korea that some 
observers assume, but they say it probably has more 
clout in Pyongyang than any other country.  The 
diplomats say they do  not  know whether Mr. Tang will 
also try to press the North Koreans  not  to develop 
missiles - which Pyongyang insists is its sovereign 
right.  (Signed) 

NEB/RW/FC/KL



04-Oct-1999 07:05 AM EDT (04-Oct-1999 1105 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.