Ban Ki-moon, South Korean minister of foreign affairs and trade, arrives in Beijing Thursday for a three-day working visit from August 11 to 13.

On Friday, he is scheduled to meet with State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and hold talks with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing respectively.

It is reported that Ban will express thanks to China for its efforts to promote the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and confer with the Chinese side on how to step up South Korea-China cooperation in a bid to ensure substantial progress when the talks resume in about three weeks.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2005)