Consensus increasing among 6 parties, says Chinese FM spokesman

Consensus among the six parties is increasing and China hopes the concerned parties will go on making efforts to score positive results by showing flexibility in a pragmatic and candid spirit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

At a routine press conference here Tuesday, he said the concerned parties have had in-depth discussions on the issue of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula during the first phase of the fourth round of six-party talks, expressing their concerns very clearly with mutual respect and equal consultation.

"Although the talks did not result in a common document as people had expected, the concerned parties increased the mutual understanding and accumulated consensus during the discussion," Qin said.

He voiced the hope that the concerned parties would continue their consultations in a coordinated attitude to seek for a resolution to achieve a nuclear-free status on the Korean Peninsula, a goal requiring the joint efforts of the six parties, especially the concerned parties to increase the mutual trust, Qin noted.

He also highlighted that China will, as before, continue to take an active and pragmatic approach to help the concerned parties conduct intensive and profound consultations and reach a consensus.

In a response to a reporter's question on the duration of the second phase meeting, Qin said the meeting would still be open-ended.

"I think even the heads of the delegations do not know when the talks will concluded," Qin said, adding that the closing date has to be jointly decided by the six parties in accordance with the progress of the talks.

The spokesman also acknowledged that differences still remain on how to achieve the nuclear-free status on the Korean Peninsula among the concerned parties, expressing the hope that they would find an acceptable resolution through profound and ample discussions.

Source: Xinhua