Related Special: Six-party talks

The six parties to the Korean peninsular nuclear issue talks conducted "candid", "pragmatic" and "serious" talks on the first day of negotiations, even if there are still divergences on a series of issues, said Chinese delegation spokesperson Jiang Yu here Monday.

"All delegations voiced their stance on implementing the Sept. 19 joint statement and put forward proposals at Monday's meeting,"Jiang told a news briefing at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, where the six-party talks are being held.

The parties expressed their willingness to take a flexible and pragmatic attitude and conduct all-round and in-depth discussions,said Jiang, saying that such an attitude is "conducive" to positive results from the talks.

She admitted the talks still face obstacles and differences still remain on the approaches and steps needed to implement the joint statement.

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.

Some of the differences are rather pronounced, and a major effort is needed from all parties to bridge the gap, Jiang added.

Since the purpose of the six-party talks is to reduce differences and expand consensus, no matter how hard and complicated the situation is, we should keep patient and take a positive attitude, said the spokesperson.

"Under no circumstance should the aim of pursuing a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula be lost from view, nor should our confidence and determination to find a peaceful solution to the issue," Jiang said.

Launched in 2003, the six-party talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, have so far gone through five rounds.

However, the talks have been stalled since November 2005 when the DPRK walked out of the negotiations in response to U.S. sanctions.

Hailing the resumption of the talks on Monday as a "good start", Jiang said the talks have brought the Korean Peninsular nuke issue back into the realm of negotiation, which will help ease the current situation.

"The resumption of the talks is hard-won and worth cherishing. We hope all parties will cooperate closely with each other to strive for positive results," said the spokesperson.

Jiang said as the host and a participant in the talks, China will continue to take an objective and impartial stance, making unrelenting efforts to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

"It is in the interests of all parties to normalize diplomatic ties between the countries concerned, and safeguard the peace of the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia through dialogue

China will continue its diplomatic mediation and try to prod the parties towards each other, said Jiang.

A meeting among chief negotiators will be held on Tuesday morning and a string of one-on-one discussions are scheduled for the afternoon, Jiang said.

Editor: Yan