China, Russia shun U.S.-hosted Asia security talks

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China and Russia shunned the United States on Thursday by boycotting U.S.-hosted talks on North East Asian security issues that also focused on North Korea's nuclear program.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill told reporters the United States did not see China and Russia's decision not to attend the meeting as a snub. "They did not say it was for policy reasons," he said, adding that seven other countries had been there.

"The secretary has seen China and Russia throughout the week -- breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said, referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who hosted the talks.

Attendees at the meeting, held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, were the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

North Korea was also invited but did not attend, just as they have stayed away since last November from six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions after the United States slapped financial sanctions on them.

The six-party talks bring together China, Russia, Japan, the two Koreas and the United States.

Thursday's meeting, which lasted about an hour, was intended as a follow-up to similar North Asian security talks in Malaysia last July on the sidelines of an Asian regional conference. China arrived late to that meeting, saying it had been trying to get North Korea to attend.

BROAD CONCERN

Hill made clear the talks held on Thursday and last July were not intended to replace the six-party process and he reiterated a call for Pyongyang to return to those discussions, saying all other participants were ready.

"It is not designed to be a substitute," he added.

He said Thursday's meeting was also aimed at showing North Korea there was broader concern about its nuclear programs and demonstrated that while Pyongyang could boycott the six-party process it could not veto other discussions.

Countries attending the meeting were urged to implement a U.N. Security Council resolution passed after North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the sea in July.

Member states were mandated to prevent the transfer of technology or financial resources related to Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction programs. Australia and Japan did that this week and told the meeting about the measures.

Japan effectively froze remittances and the transfer of funds from Japan by groups suspected of links to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction or missile programs, while Australia slapped sanctions on foreign exchange transactions involving North Korean companies in the chemical and machinery sectors, among others.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, reaffirmed his government's support for the resolution and urged the North to "refrain from any action that might aggravate the situation."

He gave no details but U.S. officials have expressed concerns about signs Pyongyang may be preparing an underground nuclear test.

The United States has criticized China for not taking tough measures against North Korea.

Hill said the United States was reviewing its own compliance with the U.N. resolution but he declined to go into details.

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