The fourth round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will start in Beijing on July 26, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan announced on Tuesday.

The decision to restart the talks was made through consultations with all relevant parties, said Kong, who did not disclose how long they are scheduled to last.

The six-party talks involve China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US.

The first six-party talks began on August 27, 2003 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Since then, the capital has hosted several rounds of China-DPRK-US and six-party talks.

The DPRK decided to suspend its participation after the third round of six-party talks, accusing the US of having a hostile policy toward it.

It announced that it would return to them on July 9, after a meeting in Beijing between top US and DPRK envoys.

(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2005)