President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Sunday that China welcomes the resumption of the six-party talks and appreciates the efforts made by relevant parties for this end.

Hu told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that China also hopes that the good momentum, in which all the parties concerned are seeking common grounds, would be enhanced and further boosted.

He said peacefully settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue concerns the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula as well as Northeast Asia.

China is ready to keep close contact and cooperation with all the parties concerned, including the US, and will continue to play a constructive role in seeking progress in the new round of six-party talks, Hu said.

Vice Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Kye-gwan and US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who are heads of their countries' delegations to the six-party talks, agreed Saturday to open the fourth round of the six-party talks in late July, 2005.

Rice, who arrived here Saturday afternoon for a 20-hour visit, referred the news as a positive progress in the process of peacefully solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

She told Hu that the US hopes that all the six parties would join efforts and push forward the new round of talks for substantial results.

On the issue of Taiwan, Hu said the Chinese government has the sincerity and determination to improve and expand relations across the Taiwan Straits and to push for peaceful reunification of the nation.

Hu expressed appreciation to President Bush and the US government for their repeatedly reiteration of adherence to the one-China policy, abidance to the three Sino-US joint communiqués and the opposition to "Taiwan independence."

Hu expressed the wish that the US side meets its commitment with concrete actions by keeping vigilant against any moves the secessionist force of "Taiwan independence" make to push for "Taiwan independence" through "constitutional" changes, by more explicitly supporting the improvement and development of cross-Straits relations and by promoting peace and stability in the area around Taiwan Straits.

Rice said the US side firmly adheres to the one-China policy and abides by the three joint communiqués between the two countries.

On Sino-US relations, Hu said that the overall bilateral ties at present maintain a momentum of steady growth, and the two countries are implementing step by step the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on further advancing the constructive and cooperative relationship.

The two sides have made new progress in exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, anti-terrorism, law-enforcement and health. The two sides have also kept consultation and coordination on important international and regional issues, Hu said.

The president said that China highly values its relationship with the US. China is ready to work along with the US to strengthen dialogues, mutual trust and cooperation, respect and care for each other's concerns, in an effort to make the bilateral relations achieve greater progress.

Rice said that the relationship between the US and China is in good momentum.

She said it had been the second time for her to visit China as US secretary of state within six months, which demonstrates the importance and the level of the relationship between the two countries.

She also said President Bush expects Hu's visit to the US and hopes to exchange views with him on US-China relations and other major issues of common concern.

Beijing is the first leg of Rice's four-nation Asian tour, which will also bring her to Thailand, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Before her meeting with Hu, Rice had met with Premier Wen Jiabao and held talks with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2005)