China would be pleased if US, DPRK have direct contact

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Tuesday that China will be "pleased" if the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have direct contact in any form.

"China is in support of any proposals, measures and steps that are conducive to achieving a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula, to easing the tension there and to the early resumption of the six-party talks," Liu told a routine press conference.

However, he added, the conditions required for the direct contact between DPRK and the US depend on the two parties themselves instead of the Chinese side.

"Whether they are within the framework of the six-party talks or not and, provided the U.S. and the DPRK, as main parties concerned, are able to exchanges views on some issues, it would be helpful to resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

Liu said that any party in the six-party talks should only say or do things conducive to continuing the six-party talks or easing the situation. China hopes all relevant parties should show flexibility, pragmatic spirit and sincerity and push for the resumption of the six-party talks, he noted.

"We stand for resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation on an equal footing. We are not in favor of exerting pressure or imposing sanctions," Liu said. "We believe that such measures are not necessarily effective."

The US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Monday that the United States is willing to have direct talks with DPRK only within the framework of six-party talks.

"As we've done in the past, our practice has been to meet directly with all parties, including the North Koreans, in the context of the six-party talks," he said.

Casey made the remarks after the DPRK Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Pyongyang has no intention to hold bilateral talks with Washington, which would be separate from the framework of the six-party talks.

Three rounds of the six-party talks, involving the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia in addition to the United States and the DPRK have been held to try to resolve the nuclear confrontation between the United States and the DPRK.

The six-party talks have been stalled since June last year as the DPRK accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy towards Pyongyang.

Source: Xinhua