Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday that the Beijing six-party talks mark another important step towards the peaceful resolution of the Korean nuclear issue.

Wang, who heads the Chinese delegation to the talks, said in his opening speech that the six-party talks are not only a continuation of the tripartite talks last April but also mark another important step towards the peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear issue.

Before the formal beginning of the talks, 20 reporters were allowed to enter the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for five minutes to take photos, but they were not permitted to ask questions. This was the media's first chance to have a close look at the six-party closed-door meeting. In the following two days, media will not be allowed to enter the meeting room but may get to see the participants if they hold press conferences.

The three-day talks, involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and the United States, are due to end Friday morning.

After the first day, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met the delegations and held a welcoming dinner, saying that it is the common hope of all delegates to see a stable, peaceful and non-nuclear Korean Peninsula, according to sources.

Only the Japanese delegation gave a briefing after yesterday's talks, reiterating its stance on a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula.

Observers of the Korean issue said that it is impossible to solve all the problems through one or two rounds of talks, but that the Beijing six-party talks are a platform that will help ensure that the participants will continue talking in the future.

"The six-party talks are not only a realistic way to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through peaceful means but also an effective approach to promote dialogue among the countries concerned," said Zhu Feng, a professor at the School of International Studies and director of the International Security Program at Peking University.

Differences and confrontations can be reduced gradually as long as the six-party talks continue, said Zhu.

Pyongyang has said it will not halt its nuclear program without first obtaining a security guarantee and a non-aggression pact from Washington. However, the United States has claimed that the DPRK should first scrap its alleged nuclear ambitions.

(China Daily August 28, 2003)