No timetable is expected for restarting the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and all parties involved are still working for resuming the peace talks, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday.   

China welcomes recent contacts by the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in New York when the two parties attended an academic conference on Northeast Asian security, said Liu Jianchao at a regular press briefing. 

"The contact is helpful to promote understanding between the US and DPRK," he said.

"We hope all relevant parties, especially the US and DPRK, can increase contacts, release more positive signals, sincerely push the peace talks process in a flexible, constructive and pragmatic way, so as to create favorable conditions for resuming talks at an early date," he said.

The academic conference, held from June 30 to July 1, was cohosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) and the DPRK Institute of Disarmament and Peace.

The officials discussed the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during the meeting, which, according to a press release at the end of the meeting, was the third such conference cohosted by the two organizations.

Conference participants agreed that discussions were frank and constructive and they are optimistic that the DPRK will return to the six-party talks.

To revive the talks, officials from the US and DPRK held negotiations last November, December and this May respectively through the "New York channel."

President Hu's Russia tour fruitful

President Hu Jintao's visit to Russia is "fruitful," Liu commented.

"This fruitful visit is conducive for both sides to deepening political trust, strengthening strategic cooperation, increasing economic and trade cooperation, enhancing coordination in international and regional affairs, and further promoting the development of China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation," said Liu.

Hu visited Russia from June 30 to July 3 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. During this visit, the two sides issued a joint statement on a new world order in the 21st century and a joint communiqué, signed some documents on cooperation in finance, energy and electric power, and decided to hold the Russia Year in China in 2006 and the China Year in Russia in 2007.

As to the energy cooperation, the two sides agreed that it is of great importance to enforce bilateral cooperation in the energy field. They decided to further implement the cooperation projects in the fields of oil and natural gas, including the construction of an oil pipeline and joint exploitation of oil fields in both countries.

The cooperation agreements on oil, natural gas and electric power signed at the summit of Hu and Putin marked a new step in energy cooperation between the two countries, the communiqué said.     

According to the agreement reached by the two leaders, before finishing the construction of the oil pipeline, the Russian side promised to provide China with crude oil, transported through railway, of 10 million tons this year and 15 million next year.

Situation in Sri Lanka

Commenting on reports of recent turbulence in Sri Lanka, Liu said: "The Chinese government constantly supports Sri Lankan government's efforts to maintain unification, sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Reports said some opposition forces in Sri Lanka have aroused turbulence after the signing of a post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure between the government and Tamil Tigers.

State visits

Liu announced Jose Manuel Barroso, president of EU Commission, will visit from July 14 to 18.

During Barroso's visit, the first since he took office, Liu said Premier Wen Jiabao will hold talks with him. The two sides will exchange views on issues of common concern, including EU's recognition of China's full market economy status and the lifting of EU's arms embargo on China.

Besides Beijing, Barroso will visit Shanghai, Macao and Hong Kong.

"We welcome Barroso's visit, and expect to exchange ideas with him on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation," Liu said.

Asked if US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would visit this weekend, Liu said the two sides were conducting "relevant contact and planning" with each other and "concrete information would be released right after the arrangement of any visit."

He also announced that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit from July 13 to 16.

He said China and Indonesia, as two good neighbors, always enjoy good bilateral relations, with exchanges of high-level visits being more frequent as well as mutual understanding and trust continuously deepening.

President Hu made a successful visit to Indonesia April this year. During the visit, Hu sand Susilo signed a joint declaration on strategic partnership, pushing bilateral ties to a new high.

"China is satisfied with the development of Sino-Indonesian relations," Liu said.

According to him, bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached US$13.48 billion last year, a record high in history. The first five months of this year has witnessed a bilateral trade volume of US$6.7 billion, up 37 percent year-on-year.

The two sides also expanded their cooperation in such fields as science, technology, culture, military and security, made active civilian exchanges, and maintained close coordination in international and regional affairs, especially in issues concerning promoting regional cooperation and safeguarding interests of developing countries, Liu said.

He said during Susilo's upcoming visit, Chinese leaders will exchange views with him on expanding friendly cooperation between the two countries, and a series of documents on economic and trade cooperation will be signed. 

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily July 6, 2005)