Vice-premier applauds DPRK's achievements

Updated: 2011-07-13 08:24

By Qin Jize and Wang Chenyan (China Daily)

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BEIJING - Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang on Tuesday spoke highly of the achievements of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in exploring a development path that conforms to its domestic conditions, and said he hoped the country could make greater accomplishments in the future.

He made the remarks while meeting Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, in Pyongyang.

Zhang is heading a Chinese delegation to the DPRK to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

The DPRK introduced a number of economic reforms last year, including leasing two islands to Chinese businesses, further adjustments to economic and financial policies and the establishment of special economic zones.

In another development, France will open a cooperation bureau in Pyongyang, but emphasized that it was not launching a diplomatic relationship with the country.

French newspaper Le Monde said on Tuesday that a senior French diplomat is currently in Pyongyang where he will present the country's representative, whom the paper identified as Olivier Vaysset, a diplomat who has worked in Singapore.

The proposed office will handle cultural cooperation. The newspaper said it could serve as a "diplomatic intermediary".

France is the only major European Union member that does not have diplomatic ties with the DPRK.

Liu Jiangyong, an expert on East Asia studies at Tsinghua University, said the DPRK has always been seeking a favorable international environment free from pressure and threats in order to develop its economy, but it is difficult to break the current deadlock because the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan distrust the DPRK after its nuclear test.

"Since there is hardly any change in Washington's attitude, the opening of the French cooperation office suggests the DPRK is turning to other countries to increase its communication with the West," Liu said.

"And I think such a change came about as Pyongyang now realizes the importance of economic development and the government has actively made adjustments since last year."

Wang Fan, general secretary of the Research Center for International Security based at China Foreign Affairs University, told China Daily that the DPRK actually never resisted exchanges with other countries, but rather the West, especially the US, always set preconditions and created obstacles to dialogue.

AFP contributed to this story.