Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing Tuesday that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the security concerns of relevant countries should be equally addressed.  

Zhang said at a regular press conference that the two issues cannot be avoided at the upcoming second-round of six-party talks, which is scheduled to begin here Wednesday. She stressed that to make the talks going well the two issues should be well handled.

Zhang declined to make any comment on the issues to be discussed at the six-party talks. She said China will continue to work with all sides and hope the talks will bear some results.

China's stance, she said, is very clear that the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula should be maintained and the peninsula should remain nuclear-free.

China has been making intensive bilateral talks with all sides from Monday after delegations of the other five sides arrived in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2004)