North Korea talks end abruptly

[Almighty Colin]

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US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that three-way talks between North Korea, China and the United States had ended a day earlier than expected and warned Pyongyang that Washington would not respond to threats.

Powell said the talks had "concluded" and that while US and Chinese officials might hold talks on Friday, the North Korean involvement was over. Three days of talks, from April 23 to 25 had been scheduled initially.

While announcing the end of the discussions, Powell delivered a strongly worded warning for North Korea not to make threats as Pyongyang ratcheted up its rhetoric.

"They should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners and the nations in the region will be intimidated by bellicose statements or by threats or actions they think might get them more attention or might force us to make a concession that we would not otherwise make," he said.

"They would be very ill-advised to move in that direction," Powell said after a speech the US Asia-Pacific Council