China announced yesterday that its second round of consultations with the United States at the vice-foreign ministerial level on strategic security, multilateral arms control and non-proliferation will be held in the US in the second half of this year.

The specific time and place will be discussed between the two sides, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a regular briefing in Beijing.

She described the first round of consultations, which concluded in Beijing on Monday, as "constructive," noting that both sides were "satisfied" with the result.

Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Guangya and the US Under-Secretary of State John Bolton had an in-depth exchange of views on the current situation of strategic security, international arms control and non-proliferation as well as the Iraq issue and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue, according to Zhang. Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing also held talks with Bolton yesterday.

"Both sides agreed that they share more interests than differences in the above fields," Zhang said.

Bolton's visit was arranged according to a consensus between the two heads of state last year to set up a consultation mechanism at the vice-foreign ministerial level on strategic security, multilateral arms control and non-proliferation.

Zhang also confirmed at yesterday's briefing that Chinese police had seized the abductors who kidnapped a Japanese woman last Wednesday.

The woman, Hirasima Kudeko, was reportedly kidnapped by people traffickers whom she hired to help take her from the DPRK to China.

Zhang said the woman was safe, but the relevant Chinese authorities are currently trying to verify her identity.

"Because she entered China illegally we have to further verify her identity," Zhang said, adding the case was still under investigation.

(China Daily January 22, 2003)