Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy, State Councilor Tang
Jiaxuan, met with US President George W. Bush in the Oval Office on
Thursday.
At the meeting Tang delivered a verbal message from President Hu
to Bush and stressed that it was in the interests of China and the
US as well as Northeast Asian countries to realize the
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintain peace and
stability there and in Northeast Asia.
China and the US should enhance cooperation, handle the nuclear
issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
appropriately and prevent the situation from worsening or even
escalating out of control, Tang said.
The DPRK nuclear issue was now at a crossroads, Tang said, and
China hoped all those involved would remain calm, seek to resolve
matters through consultation and work for an early resumption of
the six-party talks.
Bush thanked President Hu for his message and stressed the US
and China should cooperate more in safeguarding the peace and
stability in Northeast Asia. The US was committed to seeking ways
to resolve the DPRK nuclear issue through diplomatic and peaceful
means, Bush said.
Tang met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley earlier Thursday and
exchanged views with them on issues including the DPRK nuclear
test, the six-party talks and the Northeast Asia situation.
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2006)