Wang Yi, Chinese vice foreign minister and head of the Chinese delegation to the six-party talks, holds a press conference Saturday at Diaoyutai Grand Hotel in Beijing after the closing of the second round of the six-party talks.

China proposes ways for providing security guarantee  

Wang Yi said at the press conference that the six sides have yet to hold consultation on the form of providing security guarantee, but China hopes the security guarantee would be provided in written form.

China proposes that the security guarantee should be provided within the framework of both bilateral and multi-lateral channels.

"China welcomes any consensus reached between the DPRK and Japan, and hopes an early normalization of relations between the two sides can be realized.," Wang said.

The Chinese deputy foreign minister said the specific goal of next round of six-party talks, set to be held in Beijing no later than the end of the second quarter of 2004, has yet to be discussed among the six countries.

He stressed that as the general goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through peaceful means has been set, the six parties would work together and find ways to realize it.

China briefs on chairman's statement, working group

Briefing on the major content of the chairman's statement that has been passed on the second round of six-party talks, Wang Yi said attention should not be put on why the document has come out as a chairman's statement rather than a communiqué, since that is merely an issue of format, and the content is the same.

Wang said the six parties have had in-depth discussions and the document has finally come out in the format of a chairman's statement after pooling in the sides' consensus and getting their acknowledgment.

As to the issue of forming a working group, Wang said that is a major progress of the talks, and China will consult with other five sides through diplomatic channels for an early settlement of the issues of who will sit in the group and its operating mechanism.

DPRK, US positions on six-party talks

Wang Yi explained at the press conference the positions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States on the six-party talks.

The DPRK further made clear its willingness to abolish its nuclear program, Wang said. So long as the United State drops its hostile policy toward the DPRK, the DPRK is willing to abandon its nuclear weapon development program.

The United States further elaborated its policy toward the DPRK, reiterating that it has no hostility toward the DPRK and has no intentions of attacking or invading the DPRK or changing its regime, Wang said.

The United States will eventually normalize its relations with the DPRK after the US concerns are addressed, said Wang.

Concept of "nuclear-free Korean peninsular"

In reply to a reporter's question about the definition of "nuclear-free Korean Peninsula", Wang clarified that there are many nuclear-weapon-free zones in the world, so an accurate concept for the "nuclear-free Korean Peninsula" should be a "nuclear-weapon-free Korean peninsula".

First-phase goal of nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is clear

Wang said that at present the first-phase goal of realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is clear.

Wang said the goal is that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) promises to freeze all of its nuclear activities as the first step to hit the goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and accepts inspections accordingly. The parties concerned should make response to the need of the DPRK.

Wang said to give energy support to the DPRK is one of the responses, but there is still a large amount of details for further consideration.

According to Wang, the DPRK side expressed welcome for the proposal of conditioned energy aid to be offered by China, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Russia raised during the second round of six-party talks.

Production of chairman statement

There is no much difference between a communiqué and a chairman's statement for the second round of the six-party talks because neither document needs signature,r Wang Yi said.

Wang said at the press conference that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea suggested adding items concerned with differences to the document. Although all the other sides considered it a fact, they had no time reporting it to their governments. "So after consultations, we agreed to release the document in the format of chairman's statement."

(Xinhua News Agency February 29, 2004)