President Hu Jintao sent North Korean leader Kim Jong Il a letter urging stronger "coordination and cooperation" between the two countries, the Chinese government said Monday, as efforts to hold another round of talks on the North's nuclear program gathered speed. China hopes to convene talks by the end of September, but dates have yet to be set, Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang said Monday. "We do hope that the six-party talks can open as scheduled, but now we have to do coordinating work with all the parties concerned," he said. Three rounds of talks by the United States, Russia, Japan, China and the two Koreas have ended without major progress toward settling a dispute over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. President Hu sent his message through a delegation of top government and Communist Party leaders that was visiting North Korea, the official Xinhua News Agency said. "China will work with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to continue to develop friendship ... between the two countries," Xinhua said, citing the letter delivered by Li Changchun, a senior party leader. Hu said he hoped both countries would "strengthen coordination and cooperation ... understand and support each other, and seek common development so as to benefit the two peoples."" --SP 1332 Local Time 1032 GMT
