China hopes all parties will seriously fulfill their commitments
made at the six-party
talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue, which ended in
Beijing on Monday with the adoption of a joint statement, a Foreign
Ministry spokesperson said yesterday.
"I believe all parties will take a responsible attitude toward
the earnest fulfillment of their commitments so as to realize
denuclearization and safeguard peace and stability in the Korean
Peninsula and Northeast Asia at large," Qin Gang said at Tuesday's
regular press conference.
Negotiators from China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North
Korea issued a joint statement on Monday that establishes a
framework for a package solution to the nuclear issue.
But one day after the statement was issued, North Korea vowed it
would return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) only
after the US provides it with light water reactors (LWRs) for
generating power.
"We will return to the NPT and sign the Safeguards Agreement
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and comply with
it immediately upon the US provision of LWRs, a basis of
confidence-building," a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign
Ministry said in a statement.
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said yesterday that
North Korea's demand was unacceptable, Kyodo News Service
reported.
"I don't think the North Korean side has any misunderstanding on
the joint statement," Qin said. "As to the problems, concerns or
interests, we need to solve them gradually in the process of
further six-party talks."
According to the joint statement, North Korea says it has the
right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Other parties have
expressed their respect for this right and agreed to discuss, at an
appropriate time, the subject of the provision of LWRs.
"The six parties need further consultations on what the
appropriate time is," Qin said, adding that there are still many
problems ahead?even if?they are
not?insurmountable.
"This is just a general frame," Qin said, referring to the joint
statement. "We hope all parties continue to push forward the
six-party talks in the spirit of mutual respect and equal
consultation."
Turning to the disputes with Japan over the East China Sea, Qin
said China hopes the issue can be resolved through dialogue.
China and Japan dispute boundary demarcation in the East China
Sea. In a bid to resolve the issue, the two sides have engaged in
two rounds of consultations: one in October 2004 and the other this
May.
They need to further discuss when the next round of talks will
be held, Qin said.
He noted that China conducts exploration in the East China Sea
inside China's offshore area.
The two countries have never conducted border demarcation in the
disputed East China Sea. Japan once unilaterally announced a median
line, which was not accepted by China.
Qin also announced that President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the
Republic of Congo will visit from September 26 to 30 at the
invitation of President Hu
Jintao.
(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2005)