The Chinese government has appointed former Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei as special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry said in a press release that Wu would be in charge of the six-party talks and related issues.

Also on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gye-gwan of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was visiting China at the invitation of Wu.

"The two sides exchanged views on China-DPRK relations, the six-party talks and issues of common concern," said ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu.

Wu, who served as the deputy director-general of the Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, China's ambassadors to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan as well as vice foreign minister, is well-informed about the Korean Peninsular situation.

He participated in the previous rounds of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue as head of the Chinese delegation.

The six-party talks, launched in 2003 but stalled last April, involve the DPRK, the ROK, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Ma said Tuesday that the Korean Peninsula nuclear situation had eased recently, providing an opportunity for resuming the talks and denuclearizing the peninsula.