China hopes the momentum of the six-party talks focusing on the Korean nuclear issue can continue by all groups involved adopting flexible attitudes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news briefing in Beijing Tuesday.
 
Zhang said Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush discussed the matter during their meeting on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.

A very important point in the process of dealing with the issue is to solve the security concern of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), she stressed.

Both leaders emphasized that the six-party talks are an important step towards a peaceful solution, and all groups involved should continue with their efforts, she said.

The nations that attended the first round of talks in Beijing in August were the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.

In relation to Sino-US relations, Zhang said China would like, along with the United States, to push forward the constructive and cooperative relationship.

During their meeting, Hu told Bush that Sino-US relations have maintained strong development growth, the spokeswoman said.

The frequent visits to China by some US senior officials recently have helped reinforce the development of bilateral ties, Zhang noted.

On the Taiwan question, Zhang said the US had reiterated its commitment to the three Sino-US joint communiques and not to support "Taiwan's Independence.'' Bush also reaffirmed this stance earlier this week, she added.

In response to questions on whether the successful launch of a manned spacecraft means that China is no longer on the list of developing countries, and has no need for aid from developed nations, Zhang said China remains a developing country, despite the successful launch of Shenzhou-V spacecraft.

Any developing country faces challenges for developing high-technology, she said, and the achievements in a certain field do not necessarily mean that the country is not on the list of developing countries.

China is currently concentrating its energy and efforts to build a relatively affluent society in an all-round way, the spokeswoman said.

When asked to comment the event that Sino-Brazilian projects, as described by leaders of both countries, have set a fine example for south-south cooperation, Zhang said the successful launch of the second joint satellite by China and Brazil Tuesday has enriched the contents of Sino-Brazilian strategic partnership of cooperation, and will further advance the development of the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between the two sides.

On Oct. 21, the second satellite jointly developed jointly by China and Brazil successfully blasted off after concerted efforts by both sides, signifying an important step forward in hi-tech cooperation between China and Brazil.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva have sent letters of congratulations to each other, Zhang said, adding that the two countries will jointly develop the third and fourth resource satellites.

The Chinese side is convinced that Sino-Brazilian cooperation in the field of aerospace will not only benefit the people of both countries, but also contribute to the world's prosperity and development, the spokeswoman said.

On the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, Zhang said China is calling on all parties involved to keep restraint and to ease the situation through peaceful negotiations.

According to the spokeswoman, on October 17, Wang Shijie, the Chinese special envoy to the Middle East, was dispatched with the hope of playing a positive role in promoting peace and stopping the violations that are occurring in the region.

Wang met with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri and met and conferred with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara on Monday.

"It was due to the escalating deteriorated situation in the Middle East that China dispatched the special envoy to the Middle East region," said Zhang.

She said that besides Syria, Special Envoy Wang will also visit Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Israel, and exchange views with the officials of these countries on the Middle East peace process.

Zhang said China hopes to cooperate with the international community to bring the current situation onto a correct track of peaceful negotiations and realize peace and stability in the region.

The spokeswoman also said the recent visit by Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Pakistan had laid the groundwork for the upcoming visit by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to China, who will attend the Boao Forum for Asia.

Zhang said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi had paid a visit to Pakistan from Oct. 19 to 21 to take part in diplomatic consultations.

She said that during his stay in Pakistan, Wang Yi met with Pakistan President Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and the two sides exchanged views on the bilateral ties and the issues of common concern.

Musharraf will go to China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia scheduled to be held in early November, and he will pay a visit to China after the forum.
 
According to the spokeswoman, the second annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia will be held at Boao, a small town of China's southernmost Hainan Province, from Nov. 2 to 3.

Zhang said the theme of this conference is "Asia searching for win-win: Development through Cooperation". On the meeting, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will deliver a keynote speech, namely "To realize win-win by seizing opportunity and meeting challenges." 

According to Zhang, up to the moment, as confirmed by the Secretariat of the Forum, foreign state leaders who will attend this meeting include President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, President Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov of Turkmenistan, President Emomali Sharipovich Rakhmonov of Tajikistan.

The participants also include Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, Deputy Executive Prime Minister Thong Loun Sisoulith of the Laos, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Otorbayev of Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Prime Minister Kim Jin-pyo of the Republic of Korea.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) will also attend this forum.
 
Also at yesterday's news conference, the spokeswoman announced Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, which currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, and President of the EU Commission Romano Prodi will be in Beijing on Oct. 30 to attend the Sixth China-EU Leaders' Meeting, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

(Sources including China Daily and Xinhua News Agency, October 22, 2003)