Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met and gave a dinner in Beijng Thursday evening for the six delegations who are here to attend the third round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

In his address at the dinner, Li said this round of talks has a good beginning. Various parties have set forth new proposals and new ideas, which added originality to the talks.

However, good things never come easy, Li acknowledged. "We need to resort to our patience, wisdom and creativity to surmount obstacles, tide over twists and turns in fulfilling our glorious mission."

Li noted that the people are the most precious in the world, and what people need the most is peace.

"What we are precisely doing is to tackle thorny problems to safeguard peace through dialogues, so as to enable people to jointly create and enjoy amore splendid life in a peaceful and stable environment," he said.

The Chinese foreign minister said the international community is now closely following Beijing and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in a hope that this round of talks can make progress.

"I am convinced that through the assiduous efforts of the all parties to the talks, we can gradually get closer to each other and finally obtain our lofty goal," he said, calling for all delegations to go on making unremitting efforts to this end. The third round of six-party talks, which involves China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, started here Wednesday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2004)