China said Thursday that it welcomes the "positive messages" sent by the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over resuming the six- party talks, urging them to release more such messages to create a good atmosphere for nuclear talks.

"China finds recent remarks from the two sides contain positive messages worth our attention and highly welcomes them," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday at a regular press conference, adding that the messages are important to resume the talks scheduled to be held last September but suspended because of serious mistrust between US and DPRK.

Acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey said at a news briefing in Washington on Tuesday "The New York channel obviously exists and it remains open, and we'll use it when we deem it appropriate, as we have in the past." DPRK officials and US officials met twice at the end of last year at the New York headquarters of the United Nations, or the "New York channel".

Casey made the remarks after the DPRK Foreign Ministry said last Sunday that Pyongyang has no intention of holding bilateral talks separate from the framework of the six-party talks. But Pyongyang did not deny the possibility to hold bilateral talks within the framework on the condition that the US recognizes the DPRK as a sovereign state.

"We expect the messages could enhance their understanding and dissolve some of their hostility, which is important to resume the talks," Kong said, urging the two sides to release more positive messages, show more good will and flexibility, and take more actions to reduce misunderstanding and raise trust.

Kong also said that six-party talks are the "only" and "correct " way to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue, urging relevant parties to stick to the talks and give the US and the DPRK more support to bring them back to the talks.

Source: Xinhua