North Korea official at Bandung Conference condemns hostile U.S. policy

JAKARTA, April 22 (UPI) -- A top North Korean official denounced U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday, claiming Washington's hostile approach to Pyongyang is placing the Korean peninsula in crisis.

Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Summit, or Bandung Conference, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea Kim Yong Nam said Pyongyang's military-first policy of nuclear deterrence is what has allowed peace to maintain on the Korean peninsula.

Yonhap reported Kim and South Korea Education Minister Hwang Woo-yeo crossed paths during the conference, but did not confirm whether a meeting was held between the two envoys.

Other leaders did hold bilateral meetings during the conference, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Voice of America reported Xi and Abe held a meeting on the sidelines but Japanese officials did not specify what issues were discussed.

In a speech on Wednesday at the summit Abe said he feels "deep remorse" about Japan's conduct during World War II and called for leaders to work together to "build peace and prosperity."

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported the Japanese prime minister quoted the ten-point declaration on world peace and cooperation that was adopted at the first Bandung Conference in 1955.

"Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country," Abe said, "Are some of the principles Bandung affirmed."

Abe's statement seemed to refer to China's unilateral moves toward land reclamation in the South China Sea, the Yomiuri reported.

Leaders and representatives from more than 100 states attended the Bandung Conference.