China, South Korea and Japan agreed to enhance coordination over a new round of nuclear talks aiming to solve the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue in Seoul Monday.  

This agreement was reached during meetings respectively held between Fu Ying, head of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and Mitoji Yabunaka, director-general of Asian and Oceanian Affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Chung Sang-ki, director-general of the Asia-Pacific Affairs Bureau of the South Korean Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs on Monday.

The three diplomats also held a joint meeting on last Sunday over trilateral cooperation.

The three countries are willing to convene the second round of six-party nuclear talks as soon as possible, according to a press release of the Chinese delegation to the talks.

China is willing to enhance mutual understanding, broaden common understanding and narrow differences with concerned parties of the talks through preparatory work for the next round of nuclear talks, said the news release.

The Chinese delegation also stressed that the second round of six-nation nuclear talks should be held on the basis of mutual respect, fair coordination in the respective meetings with South Korean and Japanese counterparts, said the release.

China, the DPRK, the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan held the first round of nuclear talks in August in Beijing.

And Pyongyang said last week that it is willing to attend the new round of such talks in early next year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2003)