2006年VOA标准英语-North Korea Nuclear Talks Starts With Demands,

（单词翻译）

By Roger Wilkison
Beijing
18 December 2006

North Korea says it will not abandon nuclear weapons until all sanctions

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, right, and US Ambassador to China Clark Randt at the opening of six-party talks on N. Korea's nuclear program, in Beijing, 18 Dec 2006

The North Koreans came with a laundry list of demands: U.S. financial sanctions imposed for its alleged³ counterfeiting⁴ of U.S. dollars and money laundering⁵ must be dropped.

U.N. sanctions imposed on it for conducting a nuclear test in October must also be lifted. And, Pyongyang wants a new light-water nuclear reactor⁶ built on its territory, the cost to be paid by others, before it will give up its nuclear weapons.

Delegations⁷ from China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States want North Korea to begin implementing⁸ an agreement that all six countries signed in September 2005. Under that deal, the impoverished⁹ North is to abandon its nuclear weapons programs in exchange for aid and security guarantees from the other parties.

But since testing a nuclear device in October, Pyongyang now considers itself a nuclear power and wants to be treated on a par¹ with the United States.

U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters his tolerance¹⁰ for North Korea's attitude is running out.

"The supply of our patience may have exceeded the international demand for that patience. And we should be a little less patient and pick up the pace an work a little faster," said Mr. Hill.

Hill says he will not meet bilaterally¹¹ with the North Koreans until he consults with the other delegations.

Japan says the North Korean negotiating position is unacceptable. Host China, ostensibly an ally of Pyongyang, is demanding flexibility¹² from all sides. South Korea says North Korea should take bold steps toward denuclearization and the other parties should be equally bold in offering incentives¹³ to Pyongyang.

Hill, referring to North Korea by its official name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK, says the talks, which have been going on intermittently¹⁴ for three years, have reached a crucial point.

"Frankly¹⁵, I cannot tell you at this point which road the DPRK is choosing," he noted¹⁶. "We can go either road. We would like denuclearization by a diplomatic negotiation¹⁷, but if they do not want that, we are quite prepared to go the other road."

And that other road would mean a continuation of sanctions that Hill says would isolate¹⁸ North Korea even further to the detriment¹⁹ of its stagnant²⁰ economy.