China welcomes all efforts to settle Korean Peninsular issue via dialogue

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes all efforts to ease the situation on the Korean Peninsular and bring the issue back on the right track of dialogue, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

The remarks came after a telephone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and President of Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, in which Trump said he would be open to talks at an appropriate time and under the right situation if the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) wanted them.

"We have noticed relevant reports," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a routine press briefing, saying recent moves between the DPRK and the ROK had drawn close attention from the international community.

Noting the United States and the DPRK were directly concerned parties on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue, Lu stressed that China hoped the two countries would move in same direction and "take a meaningful step" on dialogue and contact.

"The Chinese side is willing to continue its efforts in pushing the issue back to the right track of settlement through dialogue and consultation," Lu added.

The DPRK and the ROK on Tuesday held an inter-governmental dialogue at the truce village of Panmunjom in the highly militarized zone dividing the peninsula, the first of its kind in two years. Enditem