China says NKorea talks stalled

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5625594

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China, keen to nudge North Korea back to six-party talks on its nuclear programme,
says a visit by the reclusive country's premier, Pak Pong-ju, has yielded no date for a return to the negotiating
table.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao urged patience and flexibility on Thursday, saying that North
Korea was still committed to the process, but that "deep distrust" between Pyongyang and the United States
remained the key stumbling block.

"From this visit no breakthrough has been made on when the six-party talks can be resumed," Liu told a news
conference.

"We hope the two sides have patience, exercise restraint and do something constructive to reopen the
process," Liu said of the United States and North Korea.

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