FM urges early nuke talks on Korean Peninsula

BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday urged all parties relevant to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula to resume talks as soon as possible.

"Now, it's time (for the parties concerned) to consider how to work together to resume the six-party talks," Wang said on the sidelines of the World Peace Forum in Beijing.

"We hope that all parties, instead of acting as on-lookers from the sidelines, adopt constructive actions, move toward each other, create necessary conditions and strive to put the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula back on the track of dialogue again at the earliest possible date," Wang said.

Wang made the remarks soon after President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea (ROK) arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning for a state visit. According to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, Park will exchange views with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders on issues related to the Korean Peninsula.

In response to a question about the Korean Peninsula issue, Wang said the situation on the peninsula has recently shown progressive signs of easing, as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) again expressed its willingness to return to the goal of the denuclearization of the peninsula and to take part in various forms of dialogue, including the six-party talks.

Wang said that although various parties hold differing views on the statement from the DPRK, the move is still a positive turn in the right direction, thanks to the joint efforts of all parties concerned.

"China has played its own role and assumed due responsibility in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Wang said.

He said the six-party talks are the common cause of all six parties. The talks are aimed at pushing the DPRK to abandon its nuclear programs, addressing every party's concerns in a balanced way and realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The six-party talks, which involve the DPRK, the ROK, China, the United States, Japan and Russia, began in 2003 but stalled in December 2008.

Wang emphasized that it is China's firm and unchangeable goal to push forward and realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which he said is not only in China's interests, but also in the common interests of all relevant parties.

He said that only by realizing denuclearization, can long-term peace and stability be truly maintained on the Korean Peninsula.

"We are ready to work with all other parties to continue to make unremitting efforts to this end," Wang said.

Although the DPRK repeatedly expressed its willingness to hold dialogues with the US and other relevant parties, the US, Japan and the ROK last week called for Pyongyang to take "meaningful" steps toward denuclearization in exchange for better ties.

"We will judge the DPRK by its actions, not its words," the US State Department said in a statement on June 19.