Chinese President Hu Jintao said Wednesday that dialogue is the only correct choice for peacefully resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Hu made the remarks when meeting with visiting Premier Pak Bong Ju of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"It is in our common interests to stick to a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula, resolve DPRK's rational concerns, and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula," Hu said.

China will continue to work for the resumption of the six-party talks, which aim to find a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue but came to a standstill last September.

Three rounds of talks involving China, DPRK, the United States, Russia, the Republic of Korea and Japan were held in Beijing in August 2003.

DPRK said February this year that it will suspend the six-party nuclear talks "indefinitely" because of the United States' "hostile policy" towards it.

In response, Pak told Hu Jintao that the DPRK side appreciates China's efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

During talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao Tuesday, Pak said that the DPRK will join the six-party talks about the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula "at any time" provided conditions are right.

On China-DPRK ties, Hu said that as good neighbors, their traditional friendship, forged and cultivated by the senior-generation leaders, was further promoted with the joint efforts from the two sides and cooperation in all fields yield positive progress.

"Chinese party, government and people treasure our friendship with DPRK very much and will expand our exchange and cooperation at all level and in all sectors in a spirit of inheriting tradition, facing the future, continuing good neighborliness and enhancing cooperation," Hu said.

The Chinese president also appealed the two countries to learn from each other about how to govern the country, enhance communication and coordination on major international and regional issues to remain vitality and vigor of China-DPRK ties in the new century.

Pak said that DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il and the party, government and people of DPRK were satisfied with the progress of the friendly cooperative ties with China.

"It's our unswerving policy to further friendship with China," Pak said, "We will, along with China, exert positive efforts to push forward the development of our bilateral ties."

The DPRK premier hailed China's political stability and economic development, saying DPRK hopes to learn from Chinese experience for development and wishes greater achievement for Chinese party, government and people.

Pak was here for his first official visit to China as premier.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)