Spotlight: Experts suggest trilateral talks on dealing with nuclear issue of DPRK

Chinese experts have suggested that China, the United States and South Korea firstly hold trilateral talks on the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in the wake of the latest nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang.

In separate interviews with Xinhua, the experts also pointed out that holding six-party talks involving China, the DPRK, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan is still a better approach for handling the issue among all choices available.

Zhang Liangui, a professor with the International Strategic Studies Office of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, pointed out the inevitable risk of an outbreak of military conflicts and escalation of tensions should the nuclear issue remain unresolved on the Korean Peninsula.

"If a conflict erupts, situation in Northeast Asia will run out of control," echoed Dong Xiangrong, director of the Political Department at the National Institute of International Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in an interview with Xinhua.

Despite the fact that the U.N. Security Council has adopted a string of resolutions to solve the nuclear issue in a peaceful way, the DPRK has not stopped testing its nuclear weapons.

The country announced Wednesday that it had successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test.

The test, if confirmed, will have been the fourth nuclear test conducted by the DPRK. The previous three were carried out in 2006, 2009 and 2013 respectively.

Zhang said the DPRK's nuclear development has become a bargaining chip for the country.

The professor stressed that denuclearization and non-proliferation of the Korean Peninsula should not merely become empty words in vain. He suggested all parties make political adjustments and employ clear measures in order to let the DPRK understand the resolve of the international community.

Dong noted that the DPRK's nuclear test poses a direct threat to China with the test field located closely to the China-DPRK border.

"With nuclear tests causing possible earthquakes, it is hard to imagine what kind of fear the Chinese are undergoing as people living near the border constantly fear for their children's safety and worry about nuclear contamination," Dong said.

He also said that not only China, but also the whole region would suffer from possible conflicts on the Peninsula.

Once the regional situation completely goes out of control, no neighboring countries can manage the crisis alone or stand aloof facing such a conflict, said Dong.

On Friday, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China is determined to advance denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and settle the nuclear issue through six-party talks.

All sides should be committed to the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Peninsula and avoid escalation of tensions, said the ministry.

Zhang explained that the U.S. rejects the DPRK's proposal to resume the six-party talks due to Pyongyang's refusal to give up nuclear weapons.

With the DPRK's absence in the talks, China, South Korea and the U.S., as key players on the issue, "should hold meetings and reach a consensus in advance," suggested Dong.

Launched in 2003, the six-party talks were stalled in 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in 2009, announcing that it would not stop its nuclear development. Endi