Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said in Tokyo yesterday that China hopes the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be solved peacefully through the envisioned six-party talks.

Li was meeting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

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The Chinese foreign minister said he welcomed Japan playing a "constructive role" in efforts to deal with the nuclear issue.

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Koizumi and Kawaguchi praised China's efforts to realize the six-party talks on the issue involving China, the DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.

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The talks are expected to be held in Beijing at the end of this month but the timing and venue have yet to be formally announced.

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During his four-day visit to Japan to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Li stressed that China and Japan should always adhere to the treaty's principles.

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Li spoke highly of the determination of the Japanese Government, especially Koizumi, to adhere to the peaceful principles and spirit of the treaty to promote Sino-Japanese relations.

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Koizumi reiterated Japan will continue to adhere to the principle of taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future.

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China's development is a chance for Japan, not a threat, Koizumi said. Japan is to make further efforts to boost bilateral ties for mutual benefit, he said.

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In another development in Beijing, China's Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Alexander Losyukov held in-depth discussions on the issue and agreed to work for a diplomatic solution.

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Both sides said they hoped the six parties would strengthen dialogue and mutual understanding to reduce differences and make concerted efforts to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

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The prospect of fresh negotiations comes after April's Beijing talks, when Washington and Pyongyang held talks under Chinese auspices in an effort to move forward on the nuclear stand-off that erupted last October when the United States said Pyongyang had admitted to reviving a nuclear arms program.

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(China Daily August 12, 2003)

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