President Hu Jintao will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President George W. Bush during the 14th APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders Informal Meeting in Vietnam from November 17 to 19.

 

They will exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, Cui Tiankai, the assistant to the Foreign Minister, said in Beijing on Tuesday.

 

Specific agenda items have yet to be determined, he said.

 

Cui added that he had not heard of any plan to hold discussions on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

 

China has clearly voiced its position on some international issues, Cui said, adding that the Chinese government holds that some crises should be resolved peacefully so as to facilitate development and prosperity in the world.

 

"We are carrying out diplomatic efforts in resuming the six-party talks, and we hope our efforts can receive positive response from parties concerned," he said.

 

The six-party talks, involving China, South and North Korea, the US, Russia and Japan, aim to resolve the Korean nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations.

 

The talks stalled after the last round was held in Beijing in November 2005.

 

Tensions increased and the situation became more complicated after North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test on October 9, which triggered protests from the international community.

 

Last week, North Korea agreed to return to the talks but no date has been set.

 

The bilateral meeting between Hu and Abe will be their second since Abe took office in September. Their first meeting was in early October when Abe visited China.

 

Abe's visit broke the political stalemate between China and Japan and signified a "turning point" in bilateral relations.

 

Hu's meeting with Bush will be their third this year. Hu paid a state visit to the US in April and the two presidents held meetings on the sidelines of the outreach session of the G8 summit held in Russia's St. Petersburg in July.

 

China and the US held their third round of strategic dialogue on Wednesday co-chaired by Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

 

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo will also meet with Burns on Wednesday.

 

"Close consultations between China and the US are quite necessary," Cui said.

 

"The bilateral dialogue will help the meeting between top Chinese and US leaders on APEC sidelines. It is in preparation for their meeting."

 

The APEC summit will draw leaders from 21 countries and thousands of business executives from around the world.

 

Hu is expected to enunciate China's policies and proposals for deepening regional cooperation within the APEC framework, Cui said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2006)