China calls for DPRK, ROK to maintain contact
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Top nuclear envoy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) arrived in Beijing Thursday morning for talks on Korean Peninsula issues.
Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that Wi Sung-lac, ROK chief delegate to the six-party talks, will meet with Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and Chinese special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs Wu Dawei during his two-day stay in Beijing.
"Wi will exchange views with the Chinese side on the situation of the Korean Peninsula and other issues of common concern," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a regular press briefing on Thursday afternoon.
He reaffirmed China's stance of realizing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability in northeast Asia through dialogue and negotiations.
"We hope relevant sides will make joint efforts for the resumption of the six-party talks, solve each other's concern through dialogue and negotiation and implement the September 19 Joint Statement in a comprehensive way," Ma said.
Wi is expected to brief the Chinese side on the outcome of preliminary inter-Korean military talks held from Feb. 8 to 9.
"We hope the two sides will maintain contact and dialogue, and make joint efforts for the improvement of bilateral relations," Ma said while commenting on the outcome of the talks, adding that China "always supports the reconciliation and cooperation between the two sides."
The two-day colonel-level military talks, held at the truce village of Panmunjom, was the first major inter-Korean contact following the sinking of ROK warship "Cheonan" in March 2010 and the exchange of artillery fire which killed four people on Yonphyong Island in November 2010.
The talks ended without agreement and the two sides did not fix a date for the next round of talks.
