Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing answers a question during the press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, Mar. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The six-party talks on the North Korea nuclear issue should be continued despite many difficulties in the peace process, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Sunday.

    China hopes major parties to show flexibility, sincerity and patience for early re-opening of the talks, Li said at a press conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

A foreign journalist raises a question during the press conference given by Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 6, 2005.(Xinhua Photo)

    The minister urged the US and North Korea to engage in direct talks to increase mutual trust and understanding.

    "No matter how difficult the process is," the top diplomat said, "China always adheres to the position for making peace and facilitating the talks in an objective and impartial way."

    Li said that China pursues the objective for a nuclear-free, peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula.

    Meanwhile, he said, "the legitimate concerns of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea should be addressed."

    "The six-party talks present a realistic choice for the resolution on the nuclear issue through dialogue," he said, adding that the talks are in the interest of all the parties.

    The pressing task of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is for the two major parties concerned to gradually increase trust and understanding, said Li.

    "The United States of America is a sovereign state, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is also a sovereign state," Li said while answering a question from an Associated Press reporter about what steps China would take to "compel" the DPRK back to the six-party talks.

    Li said peace is the most valuable thing, and called for concerted efforts of all parties concerned to resume the six-party talks, which will be conducive to realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability there.

    The supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea still pursues the objective for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, according to Li.

    Li said that after receiving the verbal message from Chinese President Hu Jintao, the DPRK supreme leader said they still pursue the objective for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

    "They remain ready and willing to continue to participate in the six-party talks," Li said, "they hope the rest of the parties should display more sincerity."

    China to promote world peace and stability

    China's foreign policy and diplomacy aim at promoting peace, prosperity and cooperation in the world Sunday.

    "We will continue to work together with the international community to bring about a world with fewer conflicts and more peace, less poverty and more prosperity, and fewer troubles and more cooperation," said Li.

    Asked to comment on the Chinese foreign policy and diplomacy, the minister said that China's diplomacy serves both the Chinese people and people of other countries in the world.

    "Over the past year, we have done our work earnestly and wholeheartedly to bring about a peaceful and stable international environment for the development of the country and improvement of the people's livelihood," said Li.

    He added that the Chinese diplomats have adhered to the principle of "doing diplomatic work for the people", protected the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and legal persons abroad, and "properly handled" emergency incidents such as attacks against the Chinese citizens abroad.

    "We stand for peaceful resolution of international disputes, and we have played our part conscientiously in the settlement of the regional hot-spot issues," said the minister, adding that China is finding "more and more friends and partners" around the world.

    The minister said that China's diplomacy serves both the Chinese and people of the world.

    Taiwan issue should not be considered in US-Japan security arrangement

    The Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and should by no means be deliberated in the framework of the security alliance between the United States and Japan, said Li.

    Li, who served as Chinese Ambassador to the United States in Washington in 1998-2001, called the US-Japan military alliance a "bilateral arrangement that occurred under special circumstances during the Cold War" and urged it to "be strictly restricted to the bilateral nature".

    If it goes beyond its bilateral scope, the US-Japan alliance will definitely "arouse uneasiness on the part of Asian countries and bring complicated factors to the regional security situation",said the minister.