BEIJING, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- China wants to create the right atmosphere for its negotiating partners to resume talks over North Korea's nuclear program, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Tensions escalated in the region when North Korea conducted a nuclear test in February, its third since 2006. Six-party talks between the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan stalled in 2009.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing wanted its negotiating partners to work on building the trust necessary to resume nuclear negotiations.
"China will make active efforts in this endeavor and engage in communicating with the relevant parties," she was quoted by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency as saying Tuesday.
Washington said it wants nuclear assurances from North Korea before it sits down at the negotiation table.
Meanwhile, China, through its official Xinhua News Agency, said it was eager to expand its trade relations with North Korea by building a border complex in the eastern Chinese city of Dandong.
Xinhua reported Monday a $325 million trade complex would be set up in the city by next year.
