The second round of six-party talks will include "substantial"
discussion over the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK), said a visiting Chinese diplomat on
Saturday.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the Republic of
Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Vice Foreign Minister
Choi Young-jin, Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck as well as
National Security Advisor Kwon Chin-ho on Saturday to discuss the
six-nation nuclear talks, according to a press release of the
Chinese delegation Sunday.
Wang said the second round of multilateral nuclear talks will
kick-start discussions with "substantial content."
This "is an important symbol that the process of the talks will
go deeply," said the press release.
"China hopes the concerned parties will display flexibility in
the coming new round of nuclear talks, narrow their differences and
increase consensus, and try to set concrete goals and a direction
to solve the DPRK nuclear issue, and then take a tangible step,"
the release said.
ROK officials have highly praised China's efforts for peaceful
talks over the DPRK nuclear issue.
At the same time, the ROK is willing to cooperate with China to
produce "visible" results in the multilateral talks to be held from
February 25 in Beijing, according to the release.
The two countries called on all parties involved to take more
active, realistic and constructive attitudes to prepare for the
second round talks.
The two countries also hoped that parties involved will create
an amicable atmosphere for the nuclear talks instead of taking any
actions to excite the others, said the release.
The Chinese vice foreign minister arrived in the ROK on Friday
evening from Tokyo and returned to Beijing Sunday.
(China Daily February 16, 2004)