Japanese Foreign Minister Cools Talk on North Korea Sanction

 

By Steve Herman

Diplomatic efforts continue to try getting North Korea back to the negotiating table to discuss dismantling¹ its nuclear weapons program. Japanese and Russian diplomats² say it is too soon in the negotiating process to consider imposing³ sanctions on Pyongyang.

While some Japanese politicians are calling for economics sanctions on North Korea, Japan's foreign minister is now urging caution.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura says while sanctions should be kept as an option, there is the risk that Pyongyang would use them as an excuse to back out of talks with Japan. This is seen as a softening⁴ of his stance - Mr. Machimura two months ago expressed support for sanctions.

Calls for sanctions have grown in Japan because of North Korea's reluctance⁵ to give full details about its Cold War era abductions of Japanese citizens. The fate of missing abductees is an emotional issue for the Japanese public.
Russia's ambassador to Japan, Alexander Losyukov, on Monday warned that any sanctions imposed by Japan could have severe consequences. "If one party unilaterally starts doing something about the North Korean situation, it can bring about a very difficult problem and, probably, a catastrophe," he said.
Mr. Losyukov previously⁶ served as his country's delegate to the six-country talks about North Korean's nuclear weapons program. He says he believes Pyongyang could return to the table as soon as late January. He told reporters in Tokyo that North Korea is waiting until after President Bush assembles his new policy team and is inaugurated for his second term.

Russia, Japan, China, South Korea, North Korea and the United States have met three times since last year to discuss the nuclear issue. Pyongyang refused to attend a fourth round originally set for September.

Washington's envoy⁷ to the talks, Joseph DeTrani, heads to Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo this week to attend meetings on the nuclear dispute.

South Korea says Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also plans to visit China this month to discuss the nuclear standoff.

In a speech in Paris on Sunday, South Korea' president cautioned parties to the talks not to wait for a regime change in North Korea. President Roh Moo-hyun told Koreans in France differences must be narrowed between countries desiring a new government, such as the United States, and those that do not, including China and South Korea.

Tensions have been high on the Korean peninsula for more than two years since U.S. officials said North Korea had admitted to having a uranium-based arms program. The communist state has denied having that program, but says it is pursuing a plutonium-based program.

Steve Herman, VOA News, Tokyo.
注释：
negotiating 谈判
dismantling （枪枝）分解
Pyongyang 平壤（朝鲜民主主义人民共和国首都）
sanction 制裁
softening 软化
stance 姿态
reluctance 勉强
consequence 结果
originally 原先
dispute 争论
standoff 平衡
peninsula 半岛
plutonium [化]钚

1 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

4 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

5 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。