The second round of six-party talks, which is scheduled to begin in Beijing on Feb. 25, has long appealed to the general public home and abroad with its great significance. The international community unanimously hopes that the second round of six-party talks can score results and gestate peace.  

The Korean nuclear issue is very complicated and highly sensitive, and the interests of all the parties are interlaced. The international community holds a common view that the final solution to this issue needs unremitting diplomatic efforts made by all parties.

China has conducted broad diplomatic activities to finalize the second round of six-party talks.

Last October, while attending the 11th Economic Leader's Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Thailand, Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed the hope on different occasions that the six-party Beijing talks, which marked an important step toward a peaceful solution to the issue, should be continued.

He hoped all parties concerned could create conditions for the second round of such talks on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation. "China is willing to maintain dialogue through the diplomatic channel with relevant parties to continue the process of Beijing talks", he said.

At the same meeting, US President George W. Bush expressed his readiness to offer written security guarantee for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) within the framework of the six-party talks. He said when meeting Chinese President Hu that the US will make efforts to solve the Korean nuclear issue through peaceful means.

Bush also expressed high appreciation over China's active role in promoting the peaceful solution the Korean nuclear issue.

On Oct. 30 last year, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo headed a state delegation to visit the DPRK and met Kim Jong Il, general-secretary of the DPRK Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Both leaders expressed support for resolving the issue through dialogue. The two countries agreed in principle to continue the six-party talks process.

In order to realize the second round of six-party talks at an early date, Chinese diplomats actively conducted many diplomatic activities. They coordinated with relevant parties their stances, and gradually built up trust, reduced divergence and broadened consensus through equal and careful negotiation.

On Feb. 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue was entrusted to announce that the second round of the six-party talks on the nuclear issue of Korean Peninsula will begin in Beijing on Feb. 25.

On Feb. 19, the heads of the delegations to the upcoming second round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue have been fixed. The Chinese delegation was still headed by Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang has visited Japan and the Republic of Korea, and made final preparation for the talks.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo said China expects the parties concerned and the international community to have reasonable and practical expectations on the peace talks process. He also expected the parties concerned to be patient and maintain the process whatever difficulties ahead.

China believes that a peaceful solution to the issue through dialogue will be hopefully realized so long as the parties concerned continue to make positive efforts in the peace talks process, Dai said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2004)