Related:  First day of resumed Korean nuke talks "candid," "pragmatic"

    BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday said the ongoing six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue will be open-ended.

    "The duration of the current talks will depend on the progress made and will be determined by consensus among the six parties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told the regular briefing.

    Qin urged delegates to the talks to show more patience, joking that "envoys should run a marathon to build their stamina."

    "As long as the six-party talks go on, the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue can be resolved peacefully," Qin said.

    "The time and effort we spend are not in vain, and the expectations of the international community have not been disappointed," the spokesman said.

    Formally known as the second phase of the fifth round, the fresh six-party nuclear talks entered their second day on Tuesday, with discussions focusing on the implementation of the joint statement in September 2005.

    Under the joint statement, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

    The talks also involve China, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia.