LOS ANGELES -- The government of North Korea is difficult to deal with, no matter who you are. Just ask China's leaders. After all, they are Pyongyang's closest ally and yet they probably find dealing with leader Kim Jong Il not a whole lot more fun than their testy cross-strait exchanges with Taiwan's feisty president.
An exaggeration? Perhaps, but not categorically so. That's why Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected, according to recent reports, to travel to North Korea soon to see if he can sort out a few issues with his North Korean buddies. Presumably, one issue will be the North's policy of no longer showing up for the six-party talks in Beijing, talks that the Chinese government created, organized and hosted for three whole sessions.
It would be rather unfriendly of Pyongyang to deflect a very warm invitation from its only real big-time friend in the world, would it not?