The White House on Monday praised China's role in hosting the six-party talks aimed at ending the nuclear standoff between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.  

"China has been very involved in these efforts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a news briefing.

"China has stepped forward now to say, we want a nuclear weapons-free peninsula. And they have been actively engaged in those talks," McClellan said.

McClellan said that the United States is continuing to work through the six-party talks and make progress "to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambition."

The United States has said that it is still looking at China as both the host and the chairman of the next working group and plenary of the six-party talks.

"We are still looking at Beijing. I know there have been some reports about other places, but we are still looking at Beijing as both the host and chairman of the next working group and plenary," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a press conference in August.

China has hosted three rounds of the six-party talks and the next round of such talks is expected to be held before the end of this month.

Six-party talks making progress

The United States said on Monday that the six-party talks aimed at ending the nuclear standoff between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States was making progress.

"We are continuing to make progress through the six-party talks," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a briefing.

"Those talks are ongoing. We expect that another round of talks will be coming up," McClellan said.

McClellan said the United States had been pursuing a plan "that will lead to the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons program, not a freeze."

"The goal is the complete and verifiable end of North Korea's nuclear program -- not a freeze," McClellan said.

At the end of the third round of six-party talks held in June in Beijing, it was agreed in principle that the next round of six-party talks would be held in Beijing before the end of September.

The United States has downplayed the suggestion from the DPRK that it might not attend the upcoming round of six-party working-level talks.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2004)