The White House on Monday praised China's role in hosting the six-party talks aimed at ending the nuclear standoff between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.
"China has been very involved in these efforts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a news briefing. "China has stepped forward now to say, 'We want a nuclear weapons-free peninsula.' And they have been actively engaged in those talks."
He stated that the United States is continuing to work through the six-party talks and make progress in encouraging the DPRK to abandon any nuclear weapons program.
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a press conference in August that the US is still looking at China as both the host and the chairman of the next working group and plenary.
In Beijing on Monday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei met with James Kelly, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, to exchange views on the nuclear issue and the six-party talks.
They agreed to continue seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue with the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, Chinese diplomatic sources said. With enhanced communication and coordination, they will work to get the fourth round of talks started at the earliest possible date.
Ning Fukui, China's ambassador on the Korean Peninsular issue, also discussed related topics with Kelly.
China, the DPRK, the US, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan have held three rounds of talks in Beijing since August 2003, in a bid to resolve the nuclear crisis on the peninsula.
At the closing of the third round of talks in June, the next round was tentatively scheduled to be held in September.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2004)
