hunker down

Diplomacy
US and Chinaf hunker down or talks on way forward on North Korea

With the region still in a stir following the death of Kim Jong-Il, senior US and Chinese officials have held high-level talks in Beijing to discuss stability in the reclusive North.

hunker

(hŭng'kər)
intr.v., -kered, -ker·ing, -kers.

1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.
2. To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.
3. To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: "As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling" (Time).

n. hunkers
The haunches.

[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin, akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch.]