China, South Korea, Japan meet to resume nuclear crisis talks

Diplomats from China, South Korea and Japan met again here today to discuss plans for a new round of six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis, a day after Pyongyang indicated it was ready to resume negotiations early in the new year.

Fu Ying, head of the Chinese foreign ministry's Asian affairs department, arrived in Seoul yesterday to meet with his counterparts Chung Sang-Ki of South Korea and Mitoji Yabunaka of Japan.

Fu briefed his counterparts on Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to North Korea last week to meet North Korea's vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-Ju over the nuclear issue, officials said.

Fu and Yabunaka had a separate session with deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-Hyuck, Seoul's chief delegate to the six-nation nuclear crisis talks, ahead of a meeting with Foreign Minister Yoon Young-Kwan.

North Korea signalled yesterday its readiness to attend a second round of nuclear crisis talks early next year.

Seoul, December 29, 2003 (Zee News)