China welcomes the Berlin meeting between top US and North
Korean negotiators relating to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue,
the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
"We hope the conversations create conditions for the early
resumption and real progress of the six-party talks," ministry spokesman Liu
Jianchao told a regular news briefing.
Liu said China has always supported direct contacts between the
US and North Korea, and hoped for positive results.
China will continue making efforts and maintaining close
contacts with other parties to push forward the talks, he
added.
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill met his North
Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan in Berlin on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The bilateral meetings delved into how to best resume the six-party
talks, aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear
ambitions.
Liu said he is expecting Hill to visit Beijing this weekend, as
another round of shuttle diplomacy starts off between Germany,
Japan, China and South Korea, although he added no further
information on whether the US and North Korea would hold financial
talks in Beijing.
Kidnapped workers released in Nigeria
Liu confirmed that five kidnapped Chinese telecom workers in
Nigeria were released safely on January 17 (local time).
"We are happy with this result that was achieved after arduous
efforts," he said, adding that the Chinese government appreciates
support and assistance of the parties concerned in Nigeria.
Response to ministry upgrade
Liu yesterday also urged Japan to continue efforts to improve
and develop bilateral ties instead of stirring trouble.
Liu was responding to Japan's recent upgrading of its Defense
Agency to Defense Ministry as well as Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe's recent talks with his British counterpart Tony Blair
in which Abe asserted lifting the EU arms embargo on China would
impact security in Asia.
Liu stressed that Japan's adherence to the road of peaceful
development conforms to its fundamental interests and benefits
regional peace, stability and development.
He noted that Japan's concern over the EU's plan to lift its
arms embargo on Beijing "is none of Japan's business and will not
impose any threat to the country."
State visits
President Hu Jintao will visit Sudan and South Africa in
the near future as part of an eight-nation trip to Africa to
broaden China's reach and strengthen ties with the continent. Liu
said that dates and detailed arrangements for the trip were still
being negotiated, but would soon be announced.
The tour may start at the end of the month. The South African
Foreign Ministry has said the country will receive the president in
early February.
It will be Hu's third trip to the continent, following trips to
three African countries in 2004 and another three in April last
year.
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has just concluded a seven-nation
African tour. He returned on January 8.
China's diplomatic drive in Africa culminated last November with
Beijing hosting a China-Africa Summit that drew leaders from more
than 40 African nations.
According to the spokesman, State Councilor Hua Jianmin will attend the 2007 annual
conference of the World Economic Forum set for Davos, Switzerland,
and visit Austria and Greece. Hua's European tour will last from
January 24 to February 2.
Liu also announced that South Korean Foreign Minister Song
Min-soon will visit China from January 25 to 27, and Estonian
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet will visit from January 24 to 26.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily January 19, 2007)
