China Supports Korean Peninsula Dialogue

China would play a constructive role in solving problems on the Korean Peninsula and help maintain regional peace, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei on January 4, calling on parties involved to shoulder their responsibilities.

Hong said the situation on the peninsula was still very sensitive, and the two sides should end confrontation and resume peace through dialogue.

The six-party talks, which group China, North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan, were the main channel to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, said Hong.

China was committed to making joint efforts with other parties to implement all the objectives listed in the September 19, 2005 statement, which reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, he said.

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth visited South Korea, China and Japan from January 3 to 7 to coordinate opinions of countries involved in the stalled six-party talks.

Both Seoul and Pyongyang have called for peace and dialogue after tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated last year.

Chinese Foreign Minister Visits the U.S. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited the United States from January 3 to 7 to pave the way for President Hu Jintao's U.S. state visit later this month.

Yang met U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Thomas Donilon, National Security Adviser to the U.S. President. 

When meeting Obama, Yang said China was ready to work with the United States to move forward a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive" relationship between the two countries by enhancing bilateral cooperation in all sectors as well as dialogue and coordination at bilateral, regional and global levels.

Obama said a good and successful U.S.-China relationship was important to both the United States and the world.

The United States would make joint efforts with the Chinese side to expand areas of bilateral cooperation and deal with global challenges for the benefits of both peoples and the international community at large, he said.