China striving to resume six-party talks

WASHINGTON, March 14 (UPI) -- The State Department said Monday China has continued its efforts to resume six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear dispute.

The stalled talks started in Beijing in 2003 and involved the United States, China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia and Japan. But it has already been eight months since the last round of talks were held in Beijing.

Last month, China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice he would push North Korea to return to the six-party talks.

"I think China has continued its efforts," U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters Monday in Washington "You see the visible evidence of that to try to get North Korea to come back to the table."

"We will continue to work with the Chinese and look to the Chinese to do everything possible to get North Korea back to talks," said Boucher.

Last month, North Korea announced it possesses nuclear weapons and does not plan to return to the six-party talks.