Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in Beijing Friday that
China hopes the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear
issue could make "substantive" progress in the follow-up talks
after a period of recess.
The talks ended with a chairman's statement on Friday afternoon,
but made no breakthrough in the week-long talks.
China hopes the parties concerned will "find out scenario to
properly address differences and strive for substantive progress in
the follow-up talks," said Tang.
After "frank and in-depth" discussions on implementing the joint
statement and the measures all parties could take in the initial
steps, opinions become clearer, stances become closer and consensus
are accumulating, said Tang.
Tang made the remarks while meeting with envoys from China,
North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
The full implementation of the joint statement is responsibility
and obligation of all parties, and complies with the interests of
all parties, Tang said, adding that resolving disputes "needs a
gradual process and requires all parties to make political decision
and keep confident of the prospect."
The chairman's statement says the six parties agreed to
implement the joint statement of September 19, 2005 as soon as
possible "in a phased manner."
Under the joint statement, North Korea agreed to abandon its
nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security
guarantees.
The parties reaffirmed their common goal to achieve the peaceful
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue, the
chairman's statement says.
"The six parties agreed to recess to brief their governments and
to reconvene at the earliest opportunity," it said.
The second phase of the fifth round of the talks resumed on
Monday after a 13-month suspension.
(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2006)
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