China hopes the forthcoming second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea would lead to positive results, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said on Wednesday.
South Korea and the DPRK have agreed to hold the second Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang from August 28-30.
"China has always been supporting whatever benefits peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," said Liu.
As a neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has been supportive of the south and north for the improvement of relationship through dialogue, he said. And it also conforms to the fundamental interest of the 70 million people of the peninsula, and conduces to regional peace and stability.
Under an agreement between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il, they will hold the second Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang on Aug. 28-30, said Baek Jong-chun, national security adviser to Roh Moo-hyun, at a news conference held in the Presidential Office.
The two sides will launch preliminary meeting in DPRK's Kaesung City as soon as possible to prepare for the summit, said Baek.
The South Korean president decided to attend the summit after holding a national security meeting early in the morning, Baek added.
"The second inter-Korean summit will help normalize inter-Korean relations and provide fresh momentum to improve the North's relations with international society," Roh was quoted by his spokesman Cheon Ho-seon as saying.
During the summit, Roh will discuss agendas including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, inter-Korean peace, arms control and cross-border economic cooperation with Kim Jong-il, the spokesman said.
"The (South Korean) government has to calmly prepare for the summit. The preparations should be focused on making practical progress in Korean Peninsula denuclearization, inter-Korean peace, arms control and economic cooperation. We need to have comprehensive and creative approaches," Roh was quoted as saying by Cheon.
"Two Koreas came to share the common understanding that August is the most opportune time for an inter-Korean summit," Cheon said, adding that the US, Japan and other concerned countries were given advance notice prior to the formal announcement of the summit schedule.
The agreement on the summit released by the South Korean government said the upcoming summit will be a significant opportunity to promote the inter-Korean relationship and boost peace and mutual prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
The United States hopes the forthcoming summit to pave a way for peace and security in the region, the State Department said late Tuesday.
"We have long welcomed and supported North-South dialogue and hope that this meeting will help promote peace and security on the Korean peninsula, fulfilling the goals of the six-party talks," State Department spokesperson Joanne Moore said.
South Korea's then President Kim Dae-jung and DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il held the first-ever Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang in June 2000.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)
