CHINA URGES DIALOGUE, FLEXIBILITY ON NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR ISSUE

BY THAM CHOY LIN

BEIJING, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- China Tuesday called for dialogue and
flexibility after North Korea indicated it would restart its nuclear complex and asked international inspectors to remove seals and cameras from its key Yongbyon nuclear facility.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu urged parties to stay committed to
the six-party talks which had led to North Korea demolishing its Yongbyon
facility.

"Under the current circumstances, we hope that the relevant parties will
strengthen communication, display flexibility and be jointly committed to the
early solution of the relevant issues and implement the remaining tasks of the
second phase in a comprehensive and balanced way to promote the six party
talks," she told a regular news conference.

China hosts the talks which involve the United, States, North Korea, South
Korea, Japan and Russia.

A North Korean foreign official said last week that Pyongyang no longer
wanted to be taken off the United States list of terrorist states and was making
efforts to reactivate the Yongbyon complex.

Before dismantling Yongbyon, North Korea handed over a dossier of its
nuclear programme as reached during the six-party talks and in exchange,
Washington was to drop North Korea from the terrorist list.

The United States has yet to do so, saying that that the details must be
verified first.
-- BERNAMA