After meeting with North Korean (NK) leader Kim Jong-Il, a Chinese delegation confirmed that he did not plan on a second nuclear test, did not apologize for the test, and is willing to return to negotiations if certain financial concessions were made. However, he had warned the Chinese that he may consider further tests if additional “unfair pressure” is made on his nation.
Jong blames the US for his country’s extreme position and holds Washington responsible for the breakdown in dialogue. China , which supplies 90% of NK’s food and oil supplies, said that it did not plan to cut off any aid to Pyongyang .
Meanwhile, Honk Kong detained a NK ship carrying scrap metal bound for Taiwan citing several 25 safety violations, including 12 that are considered detainable under Port State Control regulations. These include navigational, fire fighting and life safety equipment, and obsolete nautical charts. It is not clear of these are tied to the UN sanctions against NK.
A briefing by senior Pakistani official confirmed that disgrace nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan had shipped P-2 centrifuges to Iran and NK through Dubai . However, Pakistan maintains that it had no official knowledge of such transfer. While Iran denies that it received any P-2 centrifuges from Khan, UN inspectors have found such equipment.