At a regular briefing, Liu said that a deputy director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Consular Affairs and an official from the ROK Embassy held talks in Beijing in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Liu did not give details of the consultation but said that no consensus had been reached yet.

The issue was also touched upon during Wednesday's meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his ROK counterpart Choi Sung-hong in Cha-am, Thailand, on the sidelines of the first Asian Co-operation Dialogue meeting.

Twenty people have illegally entered the ROK Embassy in Beijing this year. A notice issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry last week asked foreign embassies and consulates in China to notify the ministry's Department of Consular Affairs of "trespassers" and hand them over to China's police.

Also Thursday, Liu denied that China has provided missiles to Afghanistan.

Recent overseas reports said that the US had found Chinese-made missiles in Afghanistan.

"China has never provided any weapons to Afghanistan," Liu said.

On the latest suicide bombings in Jerusalem, Liu reiterated that China opposes and condemns such bombings, which target innocent civilians.

"Tit-for-tat violence can do nothing except increase hatred between Palestinians and Israelis," said Liu.

He called on Palestine and Israel to co-operate actively with the international community in its mediation efforts and to seek a political resolution through negotiations.

The spokesman also announced that Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the United States on June 22 to exchange views on the situation in Asia and make policy consultations on international issues of common concern.

The arrangement was made last September when Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell met in Washington.

(China Daily June 21, 2002)