As delegations of North and South Korea and the US arrived in Beijing, the new round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue slated to begin on Tuesday has again caught worldwide attention.  

Although great uncertainties remain for the talks, analysts said, there is a glimpse of hope that the deadlock of the talks may be broken should all sides value the upcoming opportunity following a break of 13 months.

Huge difficulties still remain ahead as the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is one the most complicated, sensitive and tough issues in current world. No substantial progress was made in the previous three rounds of the talks in 2003 and 2004.

The new round of the talks, to be held among China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea will begin Tuesday but when the talks will conclude is undecided.

Compared the previous three rounds, which last usually three days each, the new round has many uncertainties, said Piao Jianyi, a professor with the Asian-Pacific Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

North Korea announced itself as a nuclear nation last February, and the US official responsible for the six-party talks has changed. Heads of delegations for four parties have changed too except the North Korean and Russian delegations.

"Signs have indicated that it would be very difficult to see major breakthrough or progress for the talks," said another Chinese scholar Jin Linbo in an interview with Xinhua.

Both the US and North Korea have not changed their fundamental positions on the ways and approach to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and their deep mutual mistrust still remain.

In addition, China and South Korea still differ with the US on ways of denuclearization.

"Those are obstacles they must come through should the talks reach substantial progress," said Jin, a professor with the China Institute of International Studies.

But there is a glimpse of hope. The new round can only be resumed after the two key parties, North Korea and the US, have given some way.

According to a Chinese analyst, that the new round will begin was mainly because the US took "friendly" steps. The US held bilateral talks with North Korea, stopped strong criticism on it, and pledged it would treat the North as a sovereign state, which it would not invade and with which it would hold one-to-one meeting within the six-party framework.

Just before the new round is about to begin, US President George W. Bush said the US hopes to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through diplomatic means and that he is satisfied that the new round would be held soon.

On the other hand, North Korea said it has been the North's stance to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultations.

A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said the North seeks profound discussion on the ways and approach to denuclearization so that the talks can make substantial progress.

China, South Korea and Russia have all expressed the hope that the new round should proceed smoothly and result in substantial progress.

Zhang Liangui, a professor with the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the six parties have two points in common -- that the Korean Peninsula should remain nuclear-weapons-free and the new round should achieve progress.

"Those two points have laid an important basis for the upcoming round of the talks," Zhang said in an article published by the overseas edition of the People's Daily.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2005)