China hopes the forthcoming second summit between the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea would lead to
positive results, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao
said on Wednesday.
South Korea and the DPRK have agreed to hold the second
Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang from August 28-30.
"China has always been supporting whatever benefits peace and
stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," said
Liu.
As a neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has been supportive
of the south and north for the improvement of relationship through
dialogue, he said. And it also conforms to the fundamental interest
of the 70 million people of the peninsula, and conduces to regional
peace and stability.
Under an agreement between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun
and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il, they will hold the second
Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang on Aug. 28-30, said Baek
Jong-chun, national security adviser to Roh Moo-hyun, at a news
conference held in the Presidential Office.
The two sides will launch preliminary meeting in DPRK's Kaesung
City as soon as possible to prepare for the summit, said Baek.
The South Korean president decided to attend the summit after
holding a national security meeting early in the morning, Baek
added.
"The second inter-Korean summit will help normalize inter-Korean
relations and provide fresh momentum to improve the North's
relations with international society," Roh was quoted by his
spokesman Cheon Ho-seon as saying.
During the summit, Roh will discuss agendas including the
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, inter-Korean peace, arms
control and cross-border economic cooperation with Kim Jong-il, the
spokesman said.
"The (South Korean) government has to calmly prepare for the
summit. The preparations should be focused on making practical
progress in Korean Peninsula denuclearization, inter-Korean peace,
arms control and economic cooperation. We need to have
comprehensive and creative approaches," Roh was quoted as saying by
Cheon.
"Two Koreas came to share the common understanding that August
is the most opportune time for an inter-Korean summit," Cheon said,
adding that the US, Japan and other concerned countries were given
advance notice prior to the formal announcement of the summit
schedule.
The agreement on the summit released by the South Korean
government said the upcoming summit will be a significant
opportunity to promote the inter-Korean relationship and boost
peace and mutual prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
The United States hopes the forthcoming summit to pave a way for
peace and security in the region, the State Department said late
Tuesday.
"We have long welcomed and supported North-South dialogue and
hope that this meeting will help promote peace and security on the
Korean peninsula, fulfilling the goals of the six-party talks,"
State Department spokesperson Joanne Moore said.
South Korea's then President Kim Dae-jung and DPRK top leader
Kim Jong-il held the first-ever Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang in
June 2000.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)
