‘Small gestures’ won’t open nuclear talks with N. Korea

BEIJING – President Barack Obama is squelching speculation that the release of two Americans held in North Korea might pave the way for a new round of nuclear talks, saying the U.S. needs more than “small gestures” before reopening a high level of dialogue with Pyongyang.

Shortly after Obama arrived in China, North Korea’s neighbor and chief benefactor, the president made his first extensive public comments Monday on the hand-over of Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller. The timing of the Americans’ release raised questions about what message North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, might be trying to send the U.S. president while he is in the region.

While Obama welcomed Bae’s and Miller’s reunions with their families, he insisted that his administration had offered nothing in return to North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and impoverished countries.

“There were not high-level policy discussions,” Obama said during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. When asked whether the negotiations to secure Bae and Miller’s release gave him new insight into North Korea’s mysterious president and his strategy for dealing with the U.S., Obama said curtly, “No.”

The president’s dismissive tone was echoed by senior administration officials who said that while the White House remains open to engagement with North Korea, Pyongyang still has not shown any seriousness about dismantling its nuclear program or in addressing human rights violations.

The president arrived in Beijing on Monday for his first visit to China since 2009. His discussions during three days of talks largely center on strengthening U.S. economic ties with the booming region. After meeting today with regional leaders at an Asia-Pacific economic summit, Obama will begin a series of one-on-one meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

As talks opened today, Obama had a brief encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is seeking to increase ties with China as the U.S. and Europe punish Moscow for its provocations in Ukraine. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries as they entered the summit site at Yanqi Lake, with Putin briefly resting his hand on Obama’s shoulder.

Russia has sought to take advantage of Beijing’s fears that Obama’s engagement in the Asia-Pacific region is an attempt to limit China’s rise. Obama has repeatedly sought to dispel that notion, telling business leaders here that “one country’s prosperity doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other.”

In a goodwill gesture, the U.S. and China announced an agreement extending the length of time its citizens can be granted visas in each country. Obama administration officials hope the deal to extend tourist and business visas to 10 years and student visas to five years will lead to an increase in Chinese citizens who come to the U.S. and spend money while on vacation or working.

Despite the efforts to project cooperation, areas of tension between the world’s two largest economies bubbled just under the surface. Obama voiced concern about the prospect of a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, saying that his central focus is avoiding violence.