China on Thursday called for the resumption of six-party negotiations on the Korean nuclear issue.
"The six-party talks have been stalled for two years. We hope the parties concerned make concerted efforts to resume the talks as soon as possible," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
The last round of talks took place in Beijing in December 2008.
Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy for the Korean nuclear issue, on Wednesday visited Beijing where he met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and Wu Dawei, special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs.
China and the United States "agreed to continue to work for peace and stability on the peninsula while advancing the six-party talks," Hong said.
Dialogue is the only effective way of solving problems concerning the peninsula, Hong added.
On Wednesday, North Korea offered "unconditional" talks with the South to put a mutual end to provocation but South Korea dismissed the offer as "propaganda."
Tensions have been high since Pyongyang shelled the South's Yeonpyeong Island last November, killing four people.
The stalemate comes months after international investigators blamed Pyongyang for sinking a South Korean warship.
In December, the United States and South Korea held large-scale military drills in the area, which led the North to threaten "holy war" using its nuclear deterrent.
MOSCOW/BEIJING, January 6 (RIA Novosti)
