2010-09-09 10:02

BEIJING - A new US government team is heading to Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo as part of diplomatic efforts to jump-start Washington's "ongoing consultations with our partners in the Six Party process" concerning nuclear proliferation by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), US State Department officials announced on Tuesday.

The incoming Asian visit will be led by Stephen Bosworth, the US special representative for DPRK policy, State Department official Sung Kim and Daniel Russell, the director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council.

The group will be in Seoul from Sept 12 through 14, Tokyo on Sept 14 and 15, and Beijing on Sept 15 and 16 for DPRK discussions, US Department of State spokesman Philip Crowley said at a news conference.

Crowley, meanwhile, denied any the possibility the delegation would meet directly with any DPRK leader.

The visit has yet to be confirmed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

This trip comes on the heels of a visit by two White House envoys to Beijing to discuss a wide range of major international and regional issues, which is scheduled to end on Sept 8.

Both trips also come amid hopes for a potential rapprochement regarding the Korean Peninsula - the result of shuttle diplomacy concerning the stalled talks over Pyongyang's nuclear capability.

Wu Dawei, the special representative of the Chinese Government on Korean Peninsula Affairs, has been on intensive, multiple trips since mid-August to mediate relations between the DPRK, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and US to help open a pathway for dialogue.

For their part, ROK officials have been actively pinpointing issues of concern on the peninsula with Washington ahead of any breakthrough on DPRK.

Wi Sung-lac, representing Seoul, has most notably been in near-constant meetings with US State Department officials aiming to "evaluate what the appropriate next steps are".

Meanwhile, ROK President Lee Myung-bak is now to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev following a reportedly inconclusive investigation by Moscow last week on the torpedoing of the Cheonan naval ship, according to ROK's leading newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

Possibilities of restarting the talks were all but dismissed out of hand in April when the ROK held firm that Pyongyang should take responsibility for its part in the sinking of the Cheonan - an accusation Pyongyang has adamantly denied.

And while the ROK brought the issue before the United Nations Security Council, Seoul found the July 9 Presidential Statement unsatisfactory for failing to specifically identify the DPRK as the perpetrator.

Hostilities accelerated as the ROK conducted joint military drills with US forces with the apparent aim of deterring DPRK from further engagements.

"Lee is visiting Russia - despite other scheduled meetings with Medvedev," Chosun Ilbo said, indicating Seoul's eagerness to exchange views with Moscow.

Signs of detente have emerged within the peninsula, however, after Pyongyang freed several ROK sailors of fishing ships it said had entered its territorial waters, while Seoul has provided generous assistance in the wake of major flooding in the DPRK.

The US is also lending a helping hand for the current flooding that has battered the country.

The overall deployment of yet another US team to China and other countries in the region, analysts believe, signifies a subtle shift in Washington's attitude toward the DPRK - much of which can be attributed to the diplomatic efforts of China.

"China has been unremittingly pushing forward the resumption of the talks, for the sake of a more stable and peaceful peninsula," said Huang Youfu, the director of the Institute of Korean Studies at the Central University for Nationalities.

The re-direction of the US stance, he added, is among the "fruitful results" of the series of high-level meetings.

Positive signals like the talks between Lee and Medvedev, and the deployment of humanitarian aid to the DPRK, have cast promising light on the future for the talks, noted Huang.

Zhang Liangui, a professor of international strategic research at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Beijing is playing a "central role" in mediating the conflicts while persuading the DPRK toward peace talks.

"The ultimate aim of this visiting US team is to probe the real intentions of DPRK through its Beijing trip - and then decide whether or not to be more dedicated to the talks," Zhang said.

However, experts believe, it remains too early to predict whether events will take a favorable turn.

The US, most notably, might employ a more cautious approach in any resumption of the Six-Party Talks which are represented by leaders from the ROK, the DPRK, Japan, China, the US and Russia.

"We will continue our consultations with key parties in this process but I would suggest that it's the DPRK that needs to do what it can to create a better environment for our progress," said Crowley, the State Department spokesman.

In addition, Seoul is continuing to urge Pyongyang to accept full responsibility for the Cheonan incident while demonstrating its clear commitment to denuclearization before the talks reconvene.

"The biggest obstacle is that of trust," said Zhang.

"The US attitude depends on whether Washington believes the DPRK will come back to the negotiating table after declaring permanent withdrawal from the talks," he said.

Yang Jing contributed to the story.