A Foreign Ministry official said in Beijing Tuesday the fourth-round six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will be resumed in the week of September 12.

 

"Through efforts by parties concerned, North Korea has agreed to return to the talks," said He Yafei, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs.

 

"During President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the US from September 5 to 8, the two leaders will touch upon the nuclear issue," said He.

 

He gave no specific time for the resumption of the talks, saying China is working with other parties on the timetable.

 

Earlier this month, the fourth-round six-party talks, involving China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea, entered a three-week recess and all the parties agreed to resume the talks in the week beginning August 29.

 

However, North Korea on Monday refused to rejoin the talks as scheduled.

 

The parties concerned have conducted extensive consultations during the recess, said He. "China has made efforts for resuming the talks."

 

Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei visited Japan and North Korea, and Cui Tiankai, director of the Foreign Ministry's Asian Department, visited the US and South Korea, He said.

 

He said the main obstacle in the first stage of the talks is that the parties concerned have differences on the scope of nuclear dismantlement and North Korea's right of peaceful use of nuclear power.

 

"China hopes the parties concerned could continue to take constructive attitude, increase mutual trust and jointly explore ways to tackle problems so that the talks can come up with outcome," said He.

 

He said that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is so complicated that it cannot be solved through merely several rounds of talks. "There is still a long way to go."

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2005)