China would like to work with the parties involved for an early resumption of the six-party talks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said?in Beijing?Thursday.

The Chinese government has appointed former Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei as its special representative for Korean Peninsular affairs, who would be in charge of the six-party talks and related issues.

Wu, who served as the deputy director-general of Foreign 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 also participated in the previous rounds of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue as head of the Chinese delegation.

Ma told a regular press briefing Thursday that this appointment showed that the Chinese government attached importance to the Korean Peninsular situation and the six-party talks.

He said, "China is willing to work with the parties involved to promote the resumption of the six-party talks at an early date."

The six-party nuclear talks, involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, China, the ROK, Russia and Japan, were launched in 2003 but have stalled since the DPRK quit last April in a protest against the UN condemnation of its missile tests.