US envoy wraps up Asia tour
2009-10-01

Nations North Korea South Korea Pakistan Afghanistan Russia Malaysia Category Regions Regions Asia Pacific Rim Europe People Wen Jiabao Source (AFP)

TOKYO (AFP) - A top US envoy in Japan on Thursday wrapped up a week-long tour of five Asian countries that was focused in part on pushing communist North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks.

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg was in Asia days before Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao travels to Pyongyang Sunday and ahead of an October 10 Beijing summit of the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea.

Steinberg reiterated during his trip Washington's stance that it is willing to hold direct talks with Pyongyang -- but only to bring it back to six-party disarmament talks also involving South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.

Pyongyang, which has raised regional tensions with two nuclear tests, quit the forum in protest at a UN censure of its long-range rocket launch in April.

On Thursday Steinberg met Japan's new Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada. They were joined by Sung Kim and Akitaka Saiki, respectively the US and Japanese envoys to the stalled six-party talks.

Japan's new centre-left government has indicated it would review some aspects of military cooperation with the United States and seek a "more equal" partnership, but has also vowed a continued tough line against North Korea.

After his Tokyo meetings, Steinberg told journalists: "I'm delighted at the warm reception that we received and a strong sense of the importance of the US-Japan alliance and our partnership moving forward."

In his earlier talks with Japanese deputy foreign minister Mitoji Yabunaka, Steinberg discussed issues including North Korea and Myanmar as well as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, a foreign ministry statement said.

They also talked about international challenges such as global warming and nuclear disarmament, in addition to bilateral issues, it said.

Steinberg earlier visited Vietnam, Malaysia, China and South Korea.