China, South Korea, Japan Leaders Hold Summit Meeting

From left: S. Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama, attend joint press conference at Great Hall of the People in Beijing, 10 Oct 2009 China says North Korea wants better ties with the United States, Japanand South Korea.  Leaders from the three Asian countries met Saturdayin Beijing.

North Korea,and its nuclear programs, topped the agenda during a summit in Beijingthat brought together Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, South KoreanPresident Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Speakingat a news conference following the meeting Saturday, the Chinesepremier spoke of his recent trip to North Korea, which ended a few daysago.

Mr. Wen says the strongest impression he got from his threedays in Pyongyang was that North Korea not only hopes to improverelations with the United States, but also hopes to have better tieswith South Korea and Japan.

North Korea's supreme leader KimJong-il is reported to have told Mr. Wen that he would return to thesix party nuclear disarmament negotiations - but only if North Koreahas one-on-one talks with the United States.

Pyongyang pulledout of the talks earlier this year.  It also tested both a long-rangemissile and a nuclear explosive, in violation of United Nationssanctions.

A joint statement issued by China, Japan and SouthKorea in Beijing Saturday said all three countries would make effortsfor an early resumption of the six party talks, which also includeNorth Korea, Russia and the United States.

On other issues, thestatement said the three countries remain committed to a long term goalof realizing an "East Asian community," which would be a regionalgrouping inspired by the European Union.

The three nations alsopresented a united front on regional economic cooperation.  Japan andChina are the world's second and third largest economies.