China hopes the second round of six-party talks on the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula will be held as soon as possible this year, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan in Beijing Tuesday.  

The talks should continue in the direction of peace and dialogue, Kong said at a regular news briefing.

Ning Fukui, an ambassador-level official with the Chinese Foreign Ministry who is in charge of the affairs concerning the Korean Peninsula, made a working visit to Moscow from Jan. 4 to 6, said Kong, adding that Ning held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov and Russian Foreign Ministry First Asian Department Director Yevgeny Afanasyev on the nuclear issue.

Chinese and Russian officials reached important consensus on the nuclear issue and expressed their willingness to make positive preparation for the second round of six-party talks, the spokesman said.

Kong said all parties, including China, have been working and mediating for the early convening of a fresh round of talks, although there are some concrete differences.

Relevant parties have agreed to resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue and diplomacy in a bid to realize non-nuclear in the peninsula, tackle the security concerns of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and maintain peace and stability in the peninsula, he said.

China hopes the US non-official delegation's visit to a DPRK nuclear complex will help the United States and the DPRK enhance mutual understanding and promote dialogue, said Kong.

In August 2003, China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan held six-party talks on the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula.

Turning to Sino-Indian relations, Kong confirmed that the second round of high-level talks to resolve the border dispute between the two countries will be held in January in China, saying that specific items including an exact date are under discussion.

"We hope that the two sides can actively explore ways to resolve border disputes on the basis of further Sino-Indian relations, and from the overall situation of bilateral ties,'' Kong said.

China and India had discussed a formula for swapping disputed border territory during the first round of talks last October.

The Sino-Indian boundary question was left over by British colonialists from the history.

China and India share a border of about 2,000 kilometers. The disputed areas cover about 125,000 square kilometers.

In 1914, Britain concocted the unlawful McMahon Line, which has never been recognized by successive Chinese governments.

The two countries fought a brief war over the border in 1962, which greatly impaired bilateral ties.

Turning to Afghanistan's historic new constitution, Kong said it was another significant step towards peace and would lay the foundations for lasting stability and development.

Divided ethnic and political factions ratified the Constitution on January 4, with the active encouragement of the transitional government and other parties, Kong said.

"As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China will continue to support Afghanistan's development toward peace, and would support peace and stability in Afghanistan with the international community,'' Kong said.

The Loya Jirga on Sunday adopted the country's first post-Taliban constitution, with the majority of the 502 delegates approving a presidential system for the Islamic republic, paving the way for democratic elections later this year.

The spokesman also congratulated on the holding of the just-concluded 12th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Kong voiced his appreciation of the efforts made by SAARC in promoting economic development, social progress and cultural exchange in South Asia.

He said he hoped the joint efforts of all the countries in South Asia would enable the SAARC cooperation process to continue so as to make new contributions to the economic development and standards of living in the region.

Leaders of seven South Asian countries wrapped up their three-day summit Tuesday in Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad after signing the Islamabad Declaration and documents on economic, social and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The SAARC comprises India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and the Maldives.

Also at yesterday's briefing, the spokesman said the Chinese authorities have taken effective measures to monitor and prevent the spread of SARS.

Kong said the confirmation of the first diagnosed case of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) on Monday did not cause public panic, because effective prevention measures had been taken.

Kong said the public should be more aware of the possibility of SARS, but need not panic.

The World Health Organization and the Chinese government are satisfied with the SARS monitoring system, Kong said, adding that all foreign visitors and Chinese residents are safe.

The spokesman announced at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will attend the ad hoc Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Beijing on January 15.

The inaugural ceremony of the SCO Secretariat will be held on the same day, and foreign ministers of its six members and representatives of some international organizations will be invited to attend, Kong said.

Also at the invitation of Li Zhaoxing, Uzbek Foreign Minister Sodik Safaev will pay an official visit to China on January 13-16, according to Kong.

(Sources including Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, January 7, 2004)