Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exchanged views on the latest development of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during a phone conversation Tuesday night.  

Both Li and Rice, who is accompanying President George W. Bush on a visit to Europe, agreed that the six-party talks should be resumed as early as possible, according to sources with the Foreign Ministry.

Li reiterated that China hoped all relevant parties would continue to work together for the denuclearization and long-term peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

Three rounds of the six-party talks, which involved China, the United States, Russia, Japan, north and south Korea have been held in Beijing since August 2003, serving as a channel for all concerned parties to solve the nuclear issue through dialogue and cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2005)