After the conclusion of the third round of six-party talks in Beijing Saturday, experts hold that such talks have become the sole and most effective mechanism in resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

"The six-party talks put up a platform acceptable to both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States, and brought the leading parties to the negotiation tables, which, in a certain sense, can be said that contents are more important than the form, and the prime outcome of the talks is giving peace a chance," said Qi Baoliang, a noted researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

In the first round of six-party talks last August in Beijing, which involved China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, the participants enunciated each other's principled stances, proposals and suggestions for peaceful solution on the nuclear issue.

"This round of talks explored and confirmed the common ground, reduced barriers and laid down the foundation for the next round of talks," Qi acknowledged.

At the end of February this year, the second round of six-party talks was held in Beijing, which issued the first chairman statement as a common document.

"The second round of talks defined the manner of coordinated and simultaneous solution to the nuclear issue and kicked off discussions on substantial problems, which relieved the relevant sides' worries and made preparations for the next round," said Dr. Wang Yizhou, deputy director and senior research fellow in the Institute of World Economic and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS).

Wang went on to note that the third round of six-party talks, which was also held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse downtown Beijing, signified that the talks had become substantial-progress-oriented.

During the third round of talks, all parties set forth proposals or detailed plans and authorized the working-level talks to identify the measures as first steps towards denuclearization.

"Along with the other achievements, the DPRK and the US sides gave positive comment on each other's plan," said Shen Jiru, a prestigious researcher with the CASS, noting that "the outcome of the talks is within the bounds of reason but beyond expectation."

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2004)