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China silent on role in

proposed Korea talks

BEIJING: China refused to be drawn on Thursday on whether it planned to take part in proposed talks aimed at bringing peace to the Korean peninsula, but reiterated its desire to play a positive role in the region.

Asked at a Beijing news briefing whether China would accept an invitation from Washington and Seoul to join four-nation talks with North Korea, Chinese spokesman Shen Guofang said further study was needed.

"While the parties have yet to reach a common understanding on this particular subject, such as the scope of participation and other elements, I believe this subject is yet to be further explored," Shen said.

"Of course such exploration should take place among the directly interested parties," he said, hinting that Beijing and Washington should both stay out of the Korean dispute. He gave no more details.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday a senior Chinese official had pledged support for the talks, aimed at achieving a stable peace on the peninsula.

Zheng Jinjiong, director of the department of policy research at China's Foreign Ministry, had told South Korean officials Beijing would support the talks, the spokesman said.

Chinese spokesman Shen did not comment on the report but reiterated Beijing's desire to play a positive role for peace.

"The Chinese side is prepared to play a constructive role in the maintenance of the peninsula's peace and stability," he said.

The four-way talks were proposed this month after a summit between South Korean President Kim Young-sam and U.S. President Bill Clinton. Pyongyang has said it is studying the proposal.

North Korea rattled the region this month when it announced it would no longer recognise the Demilitarized Zone that separates it from its rival South Korea.

Beijing backed Pyongyang in the 1950-53 Korean civil war, but relations between the two have cooled in recent years.-Reuter