North Korea ready to accept China's peace effort

A special North Korean envoy said in Beijing yesterday that Pyongyang would accept China's suggestion that it restart talks with relevant parties to restore a peaceful environment on the Korean peninsula, China Central Television said last night.

Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, a senior member of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party and the Korean People's Army's top political officer, told Liu Yunshan , who ranks fifth in the Politburo Standing Committee, that he was visiting China to improve, consolidate and develop relations between the two countries, the state broadcaster reported.

"North Korea appreciates China's enormous efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and push for a return to talks and consultations on the problems of the Korean peninsula, and is willing to accept China's suggestion to have talks with all parties," he said.

Choe held talks with the head of the Communist Party's international liaison department, Wang Jiarui , on Wednesday. His trip to China is seen as a move by North Korea to mend fences with China after months of ignoring warnings from Beijing to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea was also willing to create a peaceful international environment, Choe said yesterday, and hoped to concentrate on developing its economy and improving people's livelihoods.

Liu told the close ally of North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong-un, that Beijing hoped all sides would uphold the aim of making the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons, and of solving problems and maintaining stability through dialogue.