Beijing: China and South Korea, which vowed to work towards bringing North Korea into bilateral talks at the earliest opportunity, on July 7 reached a wide ranging consensus on bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-Hyun met in Beijing for the first time and exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, and reached wide-ranging consensus, Xinhua News Agency said, without mentioning the issues discussed between Hu and Roh.

The North Korean nuclear issue and the diplomatic standoff between Washington and Pyongyang were tipped to be on top of the agenda of the two neighbours of North Korea.

During their talks, Hu said the establishment and development of an all-round co-operative partnership between China and South Korea would push forward bilateral-neighbourly relations.

The two countries should also strengthen co-ordination and co-operation in regional and international affairs to promote regional and world peace and development, and they should address promptly and properly bilateral issues and jointly safeguard their friendship, Hu said.

PTI