Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, while delivering his opening speech at the fourth round of six-party talks, said with emotion: "The talks are likely to encounter various difficulties or setbacks. However, where there is a will there is a way. Just like having a meal bite by bite, through a step-by-step process, one can eventually reach the destination. If you climb up one hillside at a time you can always ascend a mountain. China will continue to coordinate and cooperate with the other parties and make unremitting efforts to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and maintain regional peace and stability."

 

Many of the international public opinions, when commenting on the nuclear negotiations, mentioned the active role of China or the "China factor" in the six-party talks. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which has escalated since early 1990s, is a severe test of China's diplomacy. China, whose reform and opening-up has entered a period to tackle the key problems, needs a peaceful and stable neighboring environment. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue concerns the peace and stability in the region. As a responsible nation, China should play a constructive role in solving this issue.

 

The solution of the issue entails not only firm determination and belief but also enough patience in the process, since it has both profound historical origins and complicated realistic factors; it involves both bilateral relations and multi-lateral coordination; it requires both establishing principles and actual implementation; as a diplomatic issue it is inseparable from political, economic, military and social issues.

 

A review of China's diplomatic history will show that hosting the six-party talks amounts to an unprecedented systematic program. From helping form the six-party talks mechanism to helping realize the fourth-round talks, it has always been the motif and emphasis of China's diplomacy to persuade parties concerned to have talks aimed at the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue.

 

In April 2003 the three-party talks held by China, North Korea and the US were realized after several rounds of active diplomatic mediation by China, which made the first step in peacefully resolving the nuclear issue through dialogue. Later, the Chinese government sent special envoys to the countries concerned, striving to push ahead the peace talks, which resulted in the holding of the first round of six-party talks at the end of August 2003.

 

If the significance of the first-round of six-party talks lies more in that talks are held, then in the second round the parties concerned paid more attention to the talks' continuation, result and a peaceful solution it could bring about. In the process, the Chinese side adhered to the objective and impartial position, conducted active mediation with a flexible and open attitude, heeding the opinions of the various sides, particularly those of North Korea and the US, and drawing on the reasonable part of the proposals of the various sides. The Chinese side welcomed and supported any effort for pushing ahead dialogue and peace talks, striving to search reasonable solutions acceptable to each side and achieve the first step in denuclearization as soon as possible.

 

After the third round, the fourth round of six-party talks, originally scheduled in last September, failed take place as planned. To resume the six-party talks, the Chinese side made constant efforts to help the various sides seek common ground while reserving differences and improve consensus with unremitting and active diplomatic activities. It was by the joint efforts of China and parties concerned that the fourth round was able to get back on track.

 

The mechanism of six-party talks, which shoulders the task of peacefully settling the nuclear issue through political dialogue, is a pioneering work as well as an arduous journey full of variable factors. It may be said that the six-party talks, from the first to the fourth round, have endured all kinds of hardships in its assiduous search. In the process, even a morsel of success has behind it painstaking efforts for overall consideration, persuasions aimed at instilling the righteousness of the cause and proper compromises. Judging by this the "China factor" in the six-party talks is indeed an active factor of constructive function, a stabilizing factor of maintaining regional and even world peace and a balancing factor of winning trust with sincerity.

 

(People's Daily July 29, 2005)