Wednesday, March 23 2005 10:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: North Korean Premier Pak Bong Ju yesterday (Mar 22, 2005) told his Chinese counterpart that his country would not oppose or abandon the six-party talks mechanism but demanded "right conditions" for rejoining the negotiations.

Pak said North Korea does not oppose the six-party talks, neither will abandon the talks. "Provided conditions are right, we will join the talks at any time," he told Wen during official-level dialogue in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People.

He said that Pyongyang's stand on the realisation of a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula and on the settlement of the nuclear issue through dialogue and by peaceful means "remains unchanged".

Responding to Pak's remarks, Wen said that the six-party talks offered "a realistic choice" to peacefully resolve the Korean nuclear issue through dialogue.

"The talks are in the interests of all parties so it should continue," Wen said.

He urged all sides to show flexibility, sincerity and patience. Proceeding from objective and fair stance, China will continue to actively promote the talks and make unremitting efforts for the realisation of a lasting peace in northeast Asia, he added.

The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is a matter related with peace and security in northeast Asia. China advocates a nuclear-weapon-free peninsula and the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula, he said. To that end, "China is committed to resolving the issue through the six-party talks," he said.

Interestingly, it also comes a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left Beijing after holding talks with the Chinese leadership on ways to resume the stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programmes.

Rice stressed that the US had no intention to invade North Korea, but warned Pyongyang that it had to return to the six-party talk mechanism soon or Washington would explore "other means". She also asked China to use its leverage on North Korea to bring it back to the negotiating table.

The six-party talks, involving China, North Korea, South Korea, the United States, Russia and Japan are aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue. Three rounds of talks had been held in Beijing before it came to a standstill last September (2004).

Pyongyang claimed on Feb 10, 2005 that it was compelled to suspend the six-party nuclear talks "indefinitely" due to the United States' 'hostile' policy towards it.

Discussing their bilateral ties, Wen and Pak vowed to further the countries' "friendly cooperative ties," including economic cooperation and coordination on major issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Relations between China and North Korea have seen "sound progress" with the direct care from the two countries' leaders, Wen said.

Pak is in Beijing for his first official visit to China as the North Korean Premier. He is scheduled to visit Shanghai in east China and Shenyang and Anshan in northeast China after his visit in Beijing.