The top negotiators from China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States agreed to resume the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue as soon as possible, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The decision was reached after several rounds of bilateral and trilateral talks were held in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, during views were exchanged "frankly and in an in-depth way", said the Ministry.

The negotiations have "increased mutual understanding" between all parties, who agreed to work together for the early resumption and progress of the six-party talks, the Ministry said. However, an exact date has still not been set.

The top negotiators from China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan are all in Beijing preparing to resume the talks.

Jiang called on all parties to adopt a "flexible and pragmatic approach" and make concerted efforts toward the early resumption of the talks and to achieve progress.

The six-party talks, aimed to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, have been stalled since last November when the DPRK refused to return to the talks due to U.S. sanctions against it.

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2006)