Beijing
Diplomats from North Korea’s four neighbors and the U.S. sat down in Beijing this week with North Korean negotiators to discuss the country’s illegal nuclear weapons program. The six nations—the U.S., North and South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia—have a lot of ground to cover. Washington is demanding that North Korea verifiably destroy its nuclear program before receiving aid; North Korea wants a signed nonaggression treaty and other perks before agreeing to any inspections. The U.S., meanwhile, is negotiating without some of its top people. Envoy Jack Pritchard, an experienced North Korea hand, recently resigned. And the North Koreans refuse to deal with Undersecretary of State John Bolton, who recently called life in North Korea a “hellish nightmare.” The North Koreans then called Bolton “bloodsucking scum.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
