L to R) South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi arrive at the venue of the first foregin ministers' informal meeting of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, in Singapore, July 23, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

"As the Chair of Six-Party Talks," Yang said, "China will continue to make contributions...."

Yang said that although initial success has been achieved, yet "we have a lot of work to do".

The six countries involved in the talks are DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

In a statement issued late Tuesday night on ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea), ASEAN ministers welcomed recent developments that have contributed to regional peace and security in East Asia.

They reiterated their support for the Six-Party Talks and for the eventual normalization of relations between the relevant Six-Party members.

The latest round of talks was held in Beijing. Chief delegates of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue ended talks on July 12, agreeing to establish a verification mechanism for denuclearization.

Foreign Ministers and representatives to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus three foreign ministers meeting hold hands during the meeting in Singapore July 22, 2008. Foreign ministers from the ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea attended the meeting here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)