Visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Beijing Sunday that to restart the six-party talks is only the "first step" and the "real issue" now is to make progress in the nuclear talks.

She meanwhile thanked China for its efforts to resume the six-party talks.

The United States and the DPRK agreed to open the fourth round of the six-party talks in the week which begins on July 25, 2005, the Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

Rice made the remarks just before her official talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

Bilateral relations, including economic and human rights issues, and the visits by the leaders of the two countries will be also on the agenda of her talks with Chinese leaders, Rice said.

Li said he was glad to see the six-party talks would be resumed after joint efforts of all parties.

He hoped that all parties continue to remit efforts to achieve the common goal of a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula and maintaining long-lasting peace and stability.

Li told reporters that China and the United States have carriedout "very fruitful" cooperation in every field since President George W. Bush took office for his second term.

He said Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Bush had afriendly meeting in Scotland three days ago. The two leaders talked about many issues and reached wide-ranging consensus, he said.

"We will continue to develop the constructive and cooperative relationship with the United States in the spirit of the three joint communiques, so as to bring benefits to the two peoples and to world peace, stability and development," he said.

Source: Xinhua