Six-country talks on scrapping North Korea's nuclear arms resumed today after a one-year standoff.
Hopes for swift progress are dim, however, after Pyongyang presented its demands.
North Korea's opening speech at the talks took a "department store approach," presenting "an exhaustive list of all its demands" and demanding that Washington end a "hostile policy" before Pyongyang reins in its nuclear arsenal, a South Korean official said.
Beijing said the first six-party talks between the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia since Pyongyang staged its first nuclear test on October 9th would be tough.
"The issues to be discussed and addressed by this meeting are complex and profound, and the tasks borne by all the parties are both glorious and arduous," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told delegates.
The six teams, accompanied by a throng of interpreters to translate the arcane terminology of nuclear diplomacy into five languages, would discuss "specific measures" to implement a joint statement of September 2005, according to Mr Wu.
In that statement, North Korea agreed in principle to give up nuclear weapons in return for aid and security guarantees.
But most officials and observers believe this week's talks are unlikely to draw swift compromise from an emboldened North Korea, which now calls itself a nuclear state.