Beijing says Olympic momentum should translate into Pyongyang, US talks

Beijing said on Thursday the momentum of dialogue that has grown during the Winter Olympics should continue and translate into interaction between Pyongyang and Washington.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks after the Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Seoul will try to promote talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Kang said it is important for the two sides to meet at the earliest date to pave the way for full-fledged dialogue on the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kang also said her government will try through various channels to persuade Pyongyang to have talks with Washington.

The ROK Foreign Ministry said it will work on channeling the peace momentum created by Pyongyang's participation in the Winter Olympics into efforts to peacefully solve the nuclear issue.

Pyongyang and Seoul have been engaged in a series of positive interaction and friendly cooperation concerning the Winter Olympics, which Beijing welcomes and supports, Geng said.

Geng emphasized that talks are "the only way out" for solving the stalemate in the peninsula, and said Seoul and Pyongyang "have made the precious first step" in this regard.

All relevant parties should maintain the hard-won momentum, and expand the interaction between Pyongyang and Seoul into that between Pyongyang and Washington, Geng said.

The spokesman urged parties involved not to take actions that will irritate each other, try their best to maintain the relatively stable situation in the peninsula and create conditions for talks.

"We hope the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States will grasp the window of opportunity, show their sincerity and work together. We also hope the international community will jointly encourage such efforts," Geng added.