On the afternoon of July 6, 2006, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu held a regular press conference.

Jiang: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I will begin with two announcements:

At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Foreign Minister Managala Samaraweera of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka will visit China from July 12th to 16th.

At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Mr. Madan Murlidhar Dulloo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation of the Republic of Mauritius will pay an official visit to China from July 9th to 15th.

Now, the floor is open.

Q: Please clearly tell us China's reaction to the DPRK's missile test. To what extent will China exercise its influence to moderate the behavior of the DPRK?

A: We have expressed grave concern over this matter. Now China is making intensive consultation with the parties concerned. We hope that the parties concerned will keep calm, exercise restraint, bear in mind the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and do more in the benefit of the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. No party should take any action that may further intensify and complicate the situation. For a long time, China has been playing a constructive role in easing the situation on the Peninsula and maintaining the peace and stability of this region. China will continue its effort to promote the process of the Six-Party Talks and commit itself to the peace and stability of the Peninsula.

Q: Some observers criticized China for not exerting its full influence and pushing the DPRK to restrain itself. Do you think this criticism fair?

A: The basic departure point for China in handling Korean Peninsular affairs is to maintain the peace and stability of the Peninsula. Practical experience tells us that dialogue and consultation is an effective way to solve problems. We hope that the situation can be mitigated through diplomatic efforts and problems can be solved through dialogue and consultation. This serves the common interest of all parties. We will as always work with other parties and make unremitting effort to this end.

Q: The international community takes the DPRK's missle test a provocation. Why didn't China express stronger condemnation of the DPRK? Does China think the action of the DPRK a provocation that further complicates the process of the Six-Party Talks?

A: We have expressed grave concern over what happened. We hope the parties concerned will not take any action that cause further tension and complicate the situation. China has been actively mediating in the Six-Party Talks. We think in the current context when the talks face difficulties, the parties concerned should all the more keep calm, exercise restraint, properly solve the problems and break the impasse at an early date, so as to resume the talks and make new progress as soon as possible.

Q: You used the word "tension". Which country should be responsible for the current tension?

A: To preserve the peace and stability in the Northeast Asia serve the common interest and is the common aspiration of all the countries in the region. All countries in this region share the responsibility to make effort to this end.

Follow-up: Is the Six-Party Talks dead?

A: China has all along been making active effort to push forward the Six-Party Talks. The talks have been caught in impasse for over six months, and the reason is obvious to all. Right at this difficult juncture, we hope that the parties concerned will take a practical and flexible attitude and properly solve their problems and concern. We should create conditions, maintain the talks on the normal track, resume at an early date and strive for progress.

Q: Will Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei visit the DPRK next week? If he will, what's the main purpose for his trip?

A: At the invitation of the DPRK Government, Mr. Hui Liangyu, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, will head a good-will delegation to the DPRK on July 10 to 15, and attend the commemorative event for the 45th anniversary of signing the Treaty between China and the DPRK of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei will accompany Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in his visit as a member of the delegation.

Q: The Japanese Government has submitted to the Security Council members a draft resolution on sanction against the DPRK. How does China comment on the draft resolution? In China's opinion, what measures should be taken within the UN framework to preclude the DPRK from launching missiles?

A: China took part in the consultation at the Security Council with a responsible attitude. We believe the Security Council should make necessary response, but the response should contribute to the long-term objective of the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia and reinforce the effects of diplomatic efforts. China will continue to work with other parties to push for the relaxation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, press on with the Six-Party Talks and maintain the peace and stability of this region.

Q: The DPRK seems to prefer bilateral talks with the US to solve problems. Does China believe the current crisis should be solved through bilateral talks or the Six-Party Talks?

A: The Six-Party Talks is a realistic and effective mechanism to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and peace. China has been making unremitting effort to resume the talks. Now that the talks encounter difficulties, we hope the parties concerned will properly handle the problems, break the impasse as soon as possible and return to the negotiation table at an early date. The Six-Party Talks is a multilateral forum for dialogue, within the framework of which the parties concerned can have a multiform of dialogue, including bilateral contact, and discuss their concern. The dialogue between the US and the DPRK will be helpful to build trust between the two sides.

Q: Japan and the US appeal for economic sanction against the DPRK. Does China support this position or deem it unhelpful to the solution of the problem?

A: The departure point of China when handling the Korean Peninsular affairs is to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. This serves the interest of all parties. Practical experience tells us that dialogue and consultation is an effective way to solve problems. In the current context, we hope the situation can be solved through diplomatic efforts and problems can be solved through dialogue and consultation.

Q: Does the US ask China to pass any message to the DPRK?

A: Yesterday, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Secretary of State Rice made a telephone conversation. The two sides exchanged views on the DPRK's missile test and the current situation and agreed to keep in touch on this matter. US Assistant Secretary Hill will visit China tomorrow. Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei will exchange views with him on the current situation and how to push forward the Six-Party Talks. We are willing to strengthen contact and consultation with the US on these issues and make joint efforts with them to maintain the peace and stability in the Northeast Asia.

Q: It is reported that the UN Security Council will hold the first round of straw poll on the next UN Secretary General in mid-July. What's your comment on that?

A: The straw poll of the UN Security Council is part of the informal consultation process for the election of UN Secretary General. This poll is not designed for making any decision, but rather is planned to test what approximate response the members of the UN Security Council might have on the official candidate. We firmly support electing an Asia candidate the next Secretary-General. We are confident that Asia will maintain solidarity and cooperation and come out a Secretary-General who is prestigious, competent, extensively acceptable to the international community. China also supports the consultation between the UN members, including members of the Security Council, on the election of the UN Secretary General, so that the next Secretary General could be elected smoothly.

Q: Will Vice Premier Hui Liangyu postpone his visit to the DPRK? Is there any change for his schedule there?

A: Both Vice Premier Hui Liangyu's visit to China and the visit to China by a DPRK friendship delegation are of bilateral exchange arrangements. I have not heard any changes in this regard so far.

Q: China and the DPRK will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the signing of a mutual-assistance treaty. Will China review or renew this treaty?

A: The Treaty you mentioned is the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and DPRK, which was signed in 1961. The purpose of this Treaty is to promote the friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK. We will continue to observe the basic principle of the Treaty, further develop the friendly relations and cooperation with the DPRK and maintain the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region at large. At present we do not consider revising the Treaty.

Q: India and China reopened the Nithula border trade market today. How will that contribute the development of the bilateral relations?

A: According to the the Memory of Understanding on the Expansion of Border Trade signed by the two countries in 2003, China and India reopened the border market through Nathula Pass. Recently, a delegation from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry visited China's Tibet Autonomous Region and held talks with the Chinese development in charge, resulting in the agreement of opening border trade through the Nathula Pass on July 6. We believe that it will further promote the economic and trade cooperation and the development of the bilateral relations.

Q: Some Japanese officials are calling on Japan to strengthen its missile defense capability in light of the missile test by North Korea. What's China's position on that?

A: Preserving regional the peace and stability is the common aspiration of the countries in this region, and their common responsibility as well. We hope all countries concerned could do more in the benefit of the peace and stability in North-east Asia.

Q: Does China still maintain special relations with North Korea?

A: China and the DPRK are friendly neighbor, and China has always pursued a policy of good-neighborly friendship. China has all along handled state-to-state relations in line of the Charter of the spirit of the United Nations, basic norms governing international relations and the five principles of peaceful coexistence. We dedicate ourselves to developing friendly relations and cooperation with other countries around the world.

Q: Recently, the military action that Israel took on the Palestine is escalating, and the Middle East situation is worsening. What's China position on that?

A: China expresses its anxiety and concern over the worsening situation between Israel and Palestine. For some time, the humanitarian situation in Palestine has been continuously worsening, over which we are gravely concerned. We hope that Israel could completely remove the blockage on Palestine at an early date. We again call on Israel to stop all actions that would further worsen the situation, and cut off all the military action immediately. At the same time, we also call the Palestinian organization to release the hostage at an early date, so as to create conditions for solving this incident. We believe that the international community should work to ease the current situation, push Palestine and Israel back to the track of consultation and help them solve disputes through dialogue and consultation.

Q: Please brief us on the specific agenda of the new round of consultations on the East China Sea between China and Japan.

A: Through discussion, China and Japan agreed to hold the six round of consultation on the East China Sea in Beijing on July 8th to 9th. We maintain that in the current context, shelving differences and seeking common development will be conducive to safeguarding the stability at the East China Sea and the overall development of China-Japan relations. It is also in the interest of both sides. We are willing to continue to work with Japan to gradually solve relevant issues through dialogue and consultation.

If there are no more questions, thank you for your presence. Good-bye.