All sides will express views and concerns in the upcoming nuclear talks, and will discuss the implementation of the consensus already reached, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao yesterday.

Liu said at a regular press conference that the first phase of the fifth-round six-party talks is for all sides to express their political will and to show flexibility and sincerity.

He said the Chinese side hopes the talks will provide a platform for all sides to exchange views, increase mutual understanding and listen to the concerns of each other in an equal and candid atmosphere.

As for how long the upcoming talks will last, Liu said three days would be an appropriate choice, and the Chinese side still needs to consult with other delegations on the form, theme, contents and goals of the fifth-round talks.

He said the six-party talks can be conducted in various forms, which would help the talks make progress, as past experiences have demonstrated. He hopes the six parties exchange views on relevant issues and concerns through different forms of contact.

When asked to define the success of the six-party talks, Liu said the talks are just a process before the final goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is realized, in which all sides are strengthening mutual understanding and accumulating consensus on relevant issues.

He said it needs common efforts from all sides to step forward to the final goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Liu said difficulties and problems are inevitable in this process, and all sides need to show enough patience, sincerity and flexibility on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula to push forward the six-party talks towards its final goal.

The six-party talks aiming at resolving the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula includes China, the US, Russia, Japan, South and North Korea.

(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2005)