Chinese Aide Says U.S. Is Obstacle in Korean Talks

With North Korea balking at holding another round of talks, diplomatic maneuvers are underway to coax it back to the table. A Chinese official who hosted multilateral talks in Beijing last week said that the discussions were stymied by Washington's insistence that Pyongyang dismantle its nuclear program before other issues are addressed. Wang Yi, vice minister of foreign affairs, called on the US to follow up on its verbal commitment to entertain North Korea's security concerns. The criticism from Beijing could be geared to win back some influence with Pyongyang, which contradicted China's announcement last week that the multilateral talks would be continued at another meeting within two months. – YaleGlobal