Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, one of the top diplomats
involved in defusing the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula,
kicked off visits to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan Sunday
to prepare for the second round of six-party talks.
Dai will stay in the ROK until Wednesday and Japan from
Wednesday through Sunday. The visit followed hot on the heels of
another diplomatic foray, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to
the United States late last week and just one week after a stop in
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by Chinese top
legislator Wu Bangguo.
Dai's visit is regarded as China's latest push for the six-party
talks to continue among officials from the DPRK, the United States,
China, ROK, Japan and Russia.
"China will continue to work with other parties to push for the
next round of talks," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said
last Tuesday.
In Washington, Wang Yi told reporters after his discussions with
US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday that Beijing was
working to set up a new dialogue among the parties.
"The preparations for a new round of talks in Beijing have
started," Wang said after he met Powell.
After meeting the State Department officials on Thursday, Wang
said there is a "good opportunity" for the parties to move
forward.
He stressed that all parties should try to seize the opportunity
to try to narrow differences through consultations.
State Department officials said on Friday they were optimistic
about chances for fresh talks on the issue.
China organized a first round of six-party talks in Beijing in
August.
The current standoff began in October 2002 when US officials
said Pyongyang privately admitted to pursuing a nuclear weapons
program.
(China Daily November 10, 2003)