China will host talks with North Korea this week, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday,after Pyongyang offered high-level negotiations with the United States to ease tension on the Korean peninsula, according to Reuters. North Korea's proposed talks with Washington came days after it abruptly cancelled planned official negotiations with South Korea. The White House has said any talks must involve actions by Pyongyang to show it is moving towards scrapping its nuclear weapons. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui will meet North Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan on Wednesday in Beijing, spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing. "Holding this kind of strategic dialogue is because China and North Korea always maintain close communication," Hua said. "China is also paying close attention to the situation on the Korean peninsula and is proactively working to promote each side to quickly restart dialogue and consultation." China, North Korea's one major ally, has urged Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program and return to talks.
