Rice backs Beijing's N Korea diplomacy

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice concluded her meetings with the Chinese leadership on Saturday by backing a diplomatic solution to the North Korea nuclear crisis, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Rice herself came away from the meetings buoyed by China's commitment to the UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, telling reporters that Beijing was scrupulous about controlling cargo flows across the country's 1,400-kilometer border with North Korea. It has also been reported that China has begun restricting exports of oil products and electrical equipment to North Korea as well as ordering the major state banks to halt some transactions with the country. Washington is keen to see Beijing use its leverage with Pyongyang to persuade Kim Kong-Il to halt his nuclear program. However, China's diplomatic goal – bringing North Korea back to the six-party talks that it abandoned last year – is not seen by the US as being sufficient grounds for ending the UN sanctions.