By KUNA
Tokyo : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Japan Wednesday, the final stop on her three-nation swing through East Asia, for a series of talks with Japanese leaders as part of diplomatic efforts to make progress in stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea and to strengthen the Japan-US alliance.
Rice is scheduled to hold separate talks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, where the two sides are expected to discuss such issues as cooperation on North Korean affairs and preventive measures against crimes by US serviceman stationed in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.
Rice, who visited Seoul and Beijing before arriving in Tokyo, urged China, the closest ally of North Korea, to put pressure on the country to move ahead quickly with nuclear disarmament.
The secretary also stressed the need for joint efforts by Seoul and Washington to convince Pyongyang to realize that denuclearization is the best way for it.
The six-party talks, involve the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan, aimed at ending the North’s nuclear weapons program have stalled since Pyongyang missed an end-2007 deadline to detail of its nuclear activity, including an alleged uranium-enriching program and nuclear connection with Syria.
North Korea flatly denies the allegations, although the U.S. is reported to have evidence to prove its suspicions.
It is Rice’s first visit to Japan since Fukuda took office last September. She is expected to meet with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert before leaving Tokyo Thursday.