China says six-party talks enters stage of discussing vital issues

Beijing(China)—The six-party talks have entered a stage of earnest, candid and pragmatic discussion on substantial issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said Thursday in Beijing.
"I hope all parties can continue to make concerted efforts to press ahead the talks in a patient manner," Qin said. Qin confirmed that 25 bilateral consultations have been conducted in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse so far with 13 of the one-on-one meetings involving Chinese side. On this stage, Qin said, all parties voiced their respective stance which help to narrow down the differences and expand consensus.
Spokeswoman of the Chinese delegation to the six-party talks Jiang Yu also revealed late Thursday afternoon that the focus of the fourth day's discussion is on some substantial issues. "These discussions are conducive and helpful to bridge the gap, " Jiang said.
Japanese negotiator Kenichiro Sasae on Thursday pledged to make all efforts to push forward the six-party talks process. He said no gathering was arranged for the heads of the six parties on Thursday, so that they could focus on one-to-one talks to make progress. The Japanese delegation would hold talks with the United States and China separately, he said. The fresh six-party talks started Monday after a 13-month suspension,involving China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia.
Jiang Yu, spokesperson for the Chinese delegation to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula, made the remarks at a press conference after Wednesday's meetings. All parties held bilateral talks in the morning, and there was a meeting of chief delegates in the afternoon. The DPRK and the United States continued their discussions on financial sanctions at the DRPK embassy Wednesday morning. Jiang said this is a "good start", and China hopes they can resolve the issue through bilateral consultations, bearing in mind the overall goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

—Daily Mail, People’s Daily news exchange item