BEIJING, JUNE 22, 2016 – Senior diplomats from six countries including the U.S. and North Korea met for the first time in four years at a security forum in Beijing on Wednesday.
The informal two-day talks on easing regional tensions came amid reports that North Korea had test-launched two missiles on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s defence ministry.
The missiles were reportedly Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, which have a range of 3,000 to 4,000 kilometres and could hit US targets as far away as Alaska.
At least one of Wednesday’s missile launches failed, CBS News reported, citing unnamed U.S. and South Korean defence officials.
Four previous launches of Musudan missiles all ended in failure, the report said.
This year’s North-east Asia Cooperation Dialogue, which is closed to media, involved all countries that were part of six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme: China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Russia and the U.S.
North Korea was represented by Choe Son Gui, who was part of the six-party talks and has been a part of negotiations with Washington.
The six-party talks have been stalled since 2008.
North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK.
Analysts say China is unwilling to use its full influence to pressure North Korea to slow its nuclear development.
Mostly out of worry that too much pressure would lead to the collapse of Kim Jong UN’s regime.
This could potentially lead to a flood of North Korean refugees into China.
