Nuclear talks

CHINA said yesterday that the six-nation talks over North Korea’s nuclear programme had encountered “differences, difficulties and contradictions” and no date had been set for their conclusion.

But it also said the divide was “gradually narrowing”.

“It is necessary to continue the process of the six-party talks,” Wang Yi, China’s chief negotiator and a vice foreign minister said.

The US promised to stay until the end of the talks even though there were no concrete signs Pyongyang would meet Washington’s demands to completely dismantle its programme.