China hopes the six-party talks would be resumed before the Chinese Lunar New Year in mid-February, said Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan Thursday.

"The six-party talks constitute the realistic and effective way to solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula," Tang told the visiting Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Song Min-soon.

"Recently the parties concerned have carried out helpful contacts and reached some consensus," said Tang, adding that China will work with the ROK to make the talks resume at an early date and strive for some positive progress.

China's Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 18 this year.

Song, who starts his three-day official visit to China on Thursday, said that the ROK is engaged in peaceful solution to the nuclear issue through dialogue and will work closely with host China to make the talks achieve new progress.

Song's visit, together with a flurry of shuttle diplomacy among the parties, makes up renewed efforts to restart the six-party talks, which involve China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the ROK, Japan and Russia.

The DPRK said Wednesday the next round of talks aims to initiate the implementation of an agreement signed in 2005.

"I am satisfied with the results of the talks with the United States, Russia, China and the ROK on how to implement the Sept. 19 agreement," said Kim Kye-gwan, head of the DPRK delegation.

The DPRK and the United States held one-on-one contact and had reportedly reached some agreements in Berlin.

All parties expressed hope for progress on implementing the September 2005 joint statement, in which the DPRK agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

Source: Xinhua