The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced yesterday the ongoing six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear
issue would be "open-ended."
"The duration of the current talks will depend on the progress
made and will be determined by consensus among the six parties,"
ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular news briefing.
Qin urged more patience from the delegates, joking that "envoys
should run a marathon to build their stamina."
"As long as the six-party talks go on, the Korean Peninsula
nuclear issue can be resolved peacefully," Qin said. "The time and
effort we spend are not in vain, and the expectations of the
international community have not been disappointed," he noted.
Launched in 2003, the new round of six-party talks involving
China, the US, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea entered its
second day yesterday, with discussions oriented to the
implementation of the joint statement adopted in September 2005
during the fourth round of talks.
Under the joint statement, North Korea agreed to jettison its
nuclear program in return for economic aid and security
guarantees.
Qin said the six parties need further discussions to decide the
establishment, number and focus of working groups.
Setting up working groups is part of implementing the joint
statement, he said, adding that China hopes all sides will agree on
the form and number of the groups through consultation.
Qin said the working group on financial issues is subject to the
agreement of North Korea and the US.
China has stated its position on financial sanctions,
reiterating its hope that the parties can handle the issue on a
factual and legal basis, without disturbing the six-party talks
process, he added.
Qin said the Chinese side will take an objective and balanced
attitude, taking into consideration all parties' concerns,
listening to suggestions and opinions and seeking common ground
between the delegations.
According to Qin, a total of 12 bilateral meetings are scheduled
to be held, and China will have seven bilateral contacts with the
other five parties separately.
Commenting on the nuclear deal between the US and India, Qin
said nuclear cooperation for civilian use "should be conducive to
safeguarding the principles and effectiveness of the international
nuclear non-proliferation mechanism."
US President George W. Bush signed a landmark law on Monday
allowing the sale of civilian nuclear technology and fuel to India,
overturning a 30-year-old US ban on supplying India with such
material. The ban was imposed in 1974 following India's first
nuclear test.
In another development, Qin said China has requested the EU
remove an "outdated and discriminatory" arms embargo policy against
it.
He made the remarks when commenting on whether any progress
would be made in resolving the arms embargo issue between the EU
and China during the Finnish presidency of the EU.
Qin said China has taken a very firm and clear stance on the
issue and opposed the EU's arms embargo policy.
China wants the discriminatory policy to be removed not because
it seeks to buy weapons from the EU, but because a discriminatory
policy of this kind has no place in an all-round Sino-European
strategic partnership based on equality and mutual respect, Qin
noted.
China hopes the EU will show true political courage and
determination and remove the arms embargo policy to further the
sound development of China-EU relations.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily December 20, 2006)
