No timetable is expected for restarting the six-party
talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and all parties
involved are still working for resuming the peace talks, said a
Foreign Ministry spokesperson on
Tuesday.??
China welcomes recent contacts by the US and the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in New York when the two parties
attended an academic conference on Northeast Asian security, said
Liu Jianchao at a regular press briefing.?
"The contact is helpful to promote understanding between the US
and DPRK," he said.
"We hope all relevant parties, especially the US and DPRK, can
increase contacts, release more positive signals, sincerely push
the peace talks process in a flexible, constructive and pragmatic
way, so as to create favorable conditions for resuming talks at an
early date," he said.
The academic conference, held from June 30 to July 1, was
cohosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
(NCAFP) and the DPRK Institute of Disarmament and Peace.
The officials discussed the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue
during the meeting, which, according to a press release at the end
of the meeting, was the third such conference cohosted by the two
organizations.
Conference participants agreed that discussions were frank and
constructive and they are optimistic that the DPRK will return to
the six-party talks.
To revive the talks, officials from the US and DPRK held
negotiations last November, December and this May respectively
through the "New York channel."
President Hu's Russia tour fruitful
President Hu
Jintao's visit to Russia is "fruitful," Liu commented.
"This fruitful visit is conducive for both sides to deepening
political trust, strengthening strategic cooperation, increasing
economic and trade cooperation, enhancing coordination in
international and regional affairs, and further promoting the
development of China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation,"
said Liu.
Hu visited Russia from June 30 to July 3 at the invitation of
Russian President Vladimir Putin. During this visit, the two sides
issued a joint statement on a new world order in the 21st century
and a joint communiqué, signed some documents on cooperation in
finance, energy and electric power, and decided to hold the Russia
Year in China in 2006 and the China Year in Russia in 2007.
As to the energy cooperation, the two sides agreed that it is of
great importance to enforce bilateral cooperation in the energy
field. They decided to further implement the cooperation projects
in the fields of oil and natural gas, including the construction of
an oil pipeline and joint exploitation of oil fields in both
countries.
The cooperation agreements on oil, natural gas and electric
power signed at the summit of Hu and Putin marked a new step in
energy cooperation between the two countries, the communiqué
said.?????
According to the agreement reached by the two leaders, before
finishing the construction of the oil pipeline, the Russian side
promised to provide China with crude oil, transported through
railway, of 10 million tons this year and 15 million next year.
Situation in Sri Lanka
Commenting on reports of recent turbulence in Sri Lanka, Liu
said: "The Chinese government constantly supports Sri Lankan
government's efforts to maintain unification, sovereignty and
territorial integrity."
Reports said some opposition forces in Sri Lanka have aroused
turbulence after the signing of a post-Tsunami Operational
Management Structure between the government and Tamil Tigers.
State visits
Liu announced Jose Manuel Barroso, president of EU Commission,
will visit from July 14 to 18.
During Barroso's visit, the first since he took office, Liu said
Premier Wen
Jiabao will hold talks with him. The two sides will exchange
views on issues of common concern, including EU's recognition of
China's full market economy status and the lifting of EU's arms
embargo on China.
Besides Beijing, Barroso will visit Shanghai, Macao and Hong
Kong.
"We welcome Barroso's visit, and expect to exchange ideas with
him on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation," Liu said.
Asked if US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would visit this
weekend, Liu said the two sides were conducting "relevant contact
and planning" with each other and "concrete information would be
released right after the arrangement of any visit."
He also announced that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono will visit from July 13 to 16.
He said China and Indonesia, as two good neighbors, always enjoy
good bilateral relations, with exchanges of high-level visits being
more frequent as well as mutual understanding and trust
continuously deepening.
President Hu made a successful visit to Indonesia April this
year. During the visit, Hu sand Susilo signed a joint declaration
on strategic partnership, pushing bilateral ties to a new high.
"China is satisfied with the development of Sino-Indonesian
relations," Liu said.
According to him, bilateral trade volume between the two
countries reached US$13.48 billion last year, a record high in
history. The first five months of this year has witnessed a
bilateral trade volume of US$6.7 billion, up 37 percent
year-on-year.
The two sides also expanded their cooperation in such fields as
science, technology, culture, military and security, made active
civilian exchanges, and maintained close coordination in
international and regional affairs, especially in issues concerning
promoting regional cooperation and safeguarding interests of
developing countries, Liu said.
He said during Susilo's upcoming visit, Chinese leaders will
exchange views with him on expanding friendly cooperation between
the two countries, and a series of documents on economic and trade
cooperation will be signed.?
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily July 6, 2005)