Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (right) shakes hands with Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-bak at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Wednesday.  [Photo/Reuters]

BEIJING - Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday called for an early resumption of the stalled Six-Party Talks during a visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The remarks came at a meeting between Yang, who arrived in Seoul earlier in the day, and his ROK counterpart Kim Sung-hwan.

The two ministers agreed in principle to create an environment for resuming the Six-Party Talks, which seek the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear disarmament in exchange for economic assistance and other benefits, The Associated Press reported, citing an ROK official.

Though the tension on the peninsula has eased somewhat recently, uncertainties still remain, the top Chinese diplomat said.

China hopes all concerned parties will make more efforts to create conditions for the Six-Party Talks, Yang said.

The Six-Party Talks, which group China, the United States, Russia, Japan, the ROK and the DPRK, have been stalled since December 2008.

In response, Kim said the ROK and China share the common goal of maintaining peace and stability and realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula.

Hailing China's support for inter-Korean dialogue, Kim said Seoul is willing to work with China to maintain good-neighborliness and seek common ground while overcoming differences, to ensure the further development of bilateral relations and peace, stability and prosperity in the region

During his meeting with the ROK President Lee Myung-bak later in the day, Yang said that China hopes for improved ties between Seoul and Pyongyang and will continue to work with the ROK for regional stability.

Yang also spoke highly of the relationship between Beijing and Seoul, noting that bilateral ties have reached a new high since the two nations established a strategic cooperative partnership in 2008.

China is ready to work closely with Seoul to maintain high-level exchanges, increase mutual trust, expand people-to-people exchanges and strengthen cooperation in all areas, in order to further promote its strategic cooperative partnership with the ROK, Yang said.

Lee said it was encouraging to see bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing developing to the current level at such a rapid pace, noting that China has made important contributions to peace and stability in the region.

Lee said that bilateral ties are certain to develop further in 2011.

"There are so many complicated problems remaining on the Korean Peninsula and Yang's visit offers a good opportunity for both China and the ROK to exchange views on those issues," said Zhang Liangui, an expert on Korean affairs at the Central Party School in Beijing.

Yang began his two-day visit to the ROK on Wednesday. It coincides with a meeting of the United Nations Security Council later on Wednesday in New York, which is expected to debate whether to adopt an experts' report on the DPRK's uranium enrichment program, Yohnap said.

Yang will leave for Mongolia on Thursday.

Agencies contributed to the story.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/24/2011 page11)