Chinese vice-premier's trip to the two Koreas will facilitate communication for early resumption of the Six-Party Talks

Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang began his official visits to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Oct 23.

The successive visits, amid the global financial and debt crises, deepening regional cooperation in Asia and the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, are of great strategic significance for China.

Li's five-day visit to the neighboring peninsula reflects the great importance China attaches to developing relations with both the DPRK and ROK. Besides strengthening high-level communication and deepening mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with the two neighbors, easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and promoting the improvement of North-South relations and the resumption of the Six-Party Talks are also likely to be high on his agenda.

Due to geographical and historical ties, the Korean Peninsula is seen as one of regions that is of the most strategic importance to China. For an emerging developing power, a peaceful, nuclear-free, prosperous and friendly Korean Peninsula is in line with China's national interests and China has always been friendly and sincere in its dealings with the DPRK and ROK.

It has been said that if a neighboring country is friendly it doubles the benefits, while if the neighbor is unfriendly the damage can also double.

China's diplomacy toward the Korean Peninsula is an important part of its good-neighborly policy. And Li's visits to the two Koreas again demonstrate its goodwill intentions.

Friendly China-DPRK and China-ROK relations have brought tangible benefits to all sides, and whether from a historical viewpoint or from the present reality, there is no reason not to get along with one another.

The current easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula has been built on the improvement in North-South relations. Since this year, Pyongyang has repeatedly taken initiatives to ease bilateral relations with the ROK and the ROK is trying to develop its relationship with the DPRK on a "normal basis" and re-implement the peaceful unification policy.

China has been paying close attention to these developments and Li's visits could play an important "mediation" role and help further promote reconciliation and cooperation between the two neighbors.

The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the common goal of all parties concerned, as well as the basis of cooperation for all parties in the Six-Party Talks. It is not Pyongyang's ultimate goal to have nuclear weapons. So it is realistic for Pyongyang to repeatedly express willingness to return to the nuclear talks without preconditions. Its biggest concern is the problem of guaranteeing national security.

The key to solving this problem lies in the improvement of DPRK-US relations. Any slight progress in this area should be encouraged, and China should conduct strategic cooperation with the United States on this issue.

The DPRK and the US opened their second round of direct talks in Geneva on Monday, following similar discussions in New York in July 2011. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said that China supports the two countries' dialogue and hopes this will help enhance mutual trust and create conditions to restart the nuclear talks and reach a proper solution.

The US insists that the DPRK needs to show its sincerity by stopping its uranium enrichment program. While, Pyongyang argues that its nuclear enrichment program is for nuclear energy. Li's visit will promote Pyongyang's contacts with Seoul and Washington, narrowing their differences and disagreements.

While meeting with Kim Jong-il, top leader of the DPRK, Li said China buttresses the DPRK in keeping and strengthening contact and dialogue with relevant parties and pushing forward further mitigation of tensions on the peninsula, creating conditions for reopening the Six-Party Talks at an early date.

All in all, in the context of the improving overall situation on the Korean Peninsula, China's timely communication and coordination efforts and constructive suggestions will undoubtedly contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula and in the region, and might be a new starting point for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.

The author is an expert on the Korean Peninsula at Jilin University.