‘Patience’ Urged in North Korea Dispute : Diplomacy: Boutros-Ghali, visiting China, says he asked ‘nothing’ of Beijing--and apparently is granted little--on the issue.

U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali urged Monday that “patience” and negotiation be used to resolve the dispute over North Korea’s rejection of international nuclear inspections.

“All of the actors in this crisis continue to negotiate, and I believe . . . we can find a peaceful solution,” he said. “I find a political will among leaderships to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.”

Boutros-Ghali’s visit to Beijing, after talks in North and South Korea, was widely believed to be part of an effort to get China, North Korea’s only ally, to exert its influence on North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. But the U.N. chief insisted Monday that he came only to keep the Chinese government informed. “I asked nothing of the Chinese government,” he said.

The Chinese, in any case, appear to have granted him little on North Korea. The government-run New China News Agency said Chinese Premier Li Peng told Boutros-Ghali on Sunday that China opposes use of sanctions against North Korea. As one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China, like the United States, has council veto power.

“The government of China is very clear. They don’t believe that pressures will help solve the problem and they believe that more dialogues, patience and negotiations are needed,” Boutros-Ghali said.

He said that he too favors continued talks, and he encouraged North Korea to pursue three sets of talks simultaneously--with the United States; the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a U.N. body, and South Korea.

While Boutros-Ghali said continued patience is required, U.S. officials say they are concerned that the IAEA cannot continue to monitor North Korea’s nuclear program without an agreement on inspection.

If the IAEA decides safeguards against the development of nuclear weapons in North Korea can no longer be maintained, then the matter goes before the Security Council. At that stage, one possible course of action open to the Security Council would be to impose economic sanctions on North Korea.