A Foreign Ministry official said in Beijing Tuesday the fourth-round
six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will be
resumed in the week of September 12.
"Through efforts by parties concerned, North Korea has agreed to
return to the talks," said He Yafei, director of the Foreign
Ministry's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs.
"During President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the US from
September 5 to 8, the two leaders will touch upon the nuclear
issue," said He.
He gave no specific time for the resumption of the talks, saying
China is working with other parties on the timetable.
Earlier this month, the fourth-round six-party talks, involving
China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea, entered a
three-week recess and all the parties agreed to resume the talks in
the week beginning August 29.
However, North Korea on Monday refused to rejoin the talks as
scheduled.
The parties concerned have conducted extensive consultations
during the recess, said He. "China has made efforts for resuming
the talks."
Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei visited Japan and North Korea,
and Cui Tiankai, director of the Foreign Ministry's Asian
Department, visited the US and South Korea, He said.
He said the main obstacle in the first stage of the talks is
that the parties concerned have differences on the scope of nuclear
dismantlement and North Korea's right of peaceful use of nuclear
power.
"China hopes the parties concerned could continue to take
constructive attitude, increase mutual trust and jointly explore
ways to tackle problems so that the talks can come up with
outcome," said He.
He said that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is so
complicated that it cannot be solved through merely several rounds
of talks. "There is still a long way to go."
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2005)