Tillerson signals readiness to talk

China welcomes all efforts to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula

WASHINGTON - Washington's top diplomat on Tuesday expressed willingness to talk with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea without precondition, indicating a softening of the hawkish US stance, though the White House publicly remained unrelenting.

"We're ready to have the first meeting without precondition," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at the 2017 Atlantic Council-Korea Foundation Forum, an annual policy forum co-hosted by think tanks Atlantic Council and Korea Foundation.

"Let's just meet," he told an audience of around 300, adding: "We can talk about the weather, if you want."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing welcomes all efforts that help reduce tensions and promote talks.

China hopes the US and the DPRK can meet each other halfway and take meaningful steps on dialogue and contact, he told a daily news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, adding that China will continue playing a constructive role in promoting a peaceful solution of the issue.

Dong Xiangrong, a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said since both Pyongyang and Washington are unsure of each other's attitudes, "the best way to solve the crisis is by holding a peaceful and direct talks between the two sides".

However, it seemed Tillerson's remarks were not fully supported by US President Donald Trump, with the White House saying there had been no policy shift on the DPRK.

"The president's views on North Korea have not changed," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement released soon after Tillerson's speech.

It was not the first time that Trump and Tillerson appeared to be not on the same track over the peninsula issue.

Trump snubbed his state secretary over two months ago when the latter was trying to reach out to Pyongyang to start a dialogue.

"Save your energy Rex," Trump tweeted.

Tuesday's remarks showed Tillerson's efforts to seek a peaceful solution amid escalating tension on the peninsula.

"Can we at least sit down and see each other face to face, and then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work toward," Tillerson said.

"It's not realistic to say we're only going to talk if you come to the table ready to give up your program," he said, referring to the DPRK's longtime devotion to nuclear and missile programs and fast advancement in the technology and Trump's warning of military intervention if the programs were not halted.

Tillerson said dialogue is possible whenever Pyongyang is ready.

The remarks came two weeks after the DPRK successfully testfired a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile.

It led to the US redesignating the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and a new round of sanctions on the country, seen by some experts as likely to escalate the ongoing confrontation between Pyongyang and Washington.

Wang Qingyun and Pan Mengqi contributed to this story.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily 12/14/2017 page12)