N. Korea's nuke program to dominate summit

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin will be searching for common ground when they meet Friday to discuss their shared concerns over North Korea's determination to acquire nuclear weapons.

Since the disclosure of North Korea's intentions, the United States has confidently asserted that China is unalterably opposed to a nuclear-armed North Korea.

When the two leaders meet Friday at the president's ranch in Texas, Bush will be eager to learn just what measures China has in mind to induce North Korea to answer Beijing's concerns.

China is North Korea's major trading partner, supplying food and oil, but it is not clear whether Beijing will want to use its economic leverage to pressure Pyongyang.

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice said the United States sees the potential for a diplomatic solution to the problem because North Korea's impoverished conditions give outside powers ways to exert economic pressure on Pyongyang.

"They cannot on the one hand say they want to enter the international community, with its economic benefits, its trade benefits and on the other the hand brandish an illegal weapons program that is in clear violation of international obligations that they undertook," Rice said at a news conference.

She said she sees the current situation "as an opportunity for the international community to stand up and act together on this issue."

Fuel shipment option

The United States has the option of punishing North Korea by cutting off shipments of heavy fuel to North Korea. For the past eight years, Washington has provided 500,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil annually in accordance with a 1994 agreement with North Korea under which Pyongyang renounced nuclear weapons.

One indication of Washington's cautious approach to the issue is that it allowed the latest oil shipment to be delivered to a North Korean port last Friday, well after Pyongyang nullified the agreement.

Another aspect of energy cooperation that remains in place is the construction of two light water reactors designed to replace plutonium-producing reactors that the North had been using. The project is being financed primarily by South Korea and Japan.

U.S. officials say the administration wants to consult with friends and allies before making any decisions on ways to pressure the North Koreans. Given Rice's emphasis on the need for economic pressure, it seems highly unlikely that the fuel shipments or the nuclear reactor projects will be allowed to continue.

The administration also has said that it has no plans to cut off humanitarian food aid because such gifts benefit needy North Koreans.

State Department spokesman Philip Reeker reaffirmed Wednesday the U.S. view that North Korea "must immediately and visibly dismantle its nuclear program. We seek to resolve our concerns through a peaceful and diplomatic solution."

Undersecretary of State John Bolton is winding up visits to China, Britain, France and Russia, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and nuclear powers in their own right.

After Bush meets with Jiang on Friday, the two leaders will travel to Mexico on Saturday for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

Bush will meet there on Saturday with President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. Administration officials say the United States wants to be in lockstep with the two allies on North Korea policy