U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Seoul Thursday for meetings to discuss the region's response to North Korea's suspected nuclear test. The visit came as a senior Bush administration official said China has shown a dramatic shift in its posture toward North Korea and the country's nuclear program. According to the official, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan is in Pyongyang to send a "very strong" message to North Korea, regarding compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718, which was passed on a unanimous vote last weekend following an October 9 nuclear test by the North. Asked about the possibility of a possible second nuclear test by Pyongyang, the official said, "The North Koreans have 365 excuses to do ridiculous things. It's not in their interest to do so." The official also said no one is looking for the collapse of the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il through the sanctions. In Seoul, Rice is scheduled to hold three-way talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon -- the new Secretary General of the U.N. -- and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso. South Korea has in the past been reluctant to upset its northern neighbor, preferring to focus on its "sunshine policy" of reconciliation with Pyongyang. There were signs before Rice arrived, however, that Seoul's patience had run out, according to reports from The Associated Press.
