Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, met with US President George W. Bush in the Oval Office on Thursday.

 

At the meeting Tang delivered a verbal message from President Hu to Bush and stressed that it was in the interests of China and the US as well as Northeast Asian countries to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintain peace and stability there and in Northeast Asia.

 

China and the US should enhance cooperation, handle the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) appropriately and prevent the situation from worsening or even escalating out of control, Tang said.

 

The DPRK nuclear issue was now at a crossroads, Tang said, and China hoped all those involved would remain calm, seek to resolve matters through consultation and work for an early resumption of the six-party talks.

 

Bush thanked President Hu for his message and stressed the US and China should cooperate more in safeguarding the peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The US was committed to seeking ways to resolve the DPRK nuclear issue through diplomatic and peaceful means, Bush said.

 

Tang met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley earlier Thursday and exchanged views with them on issues including the DPRK nuclear test, the six-party talks and the Northeast Asia situation.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2006)