Seoul, Beijing agree to step up efforts towards easing tension on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL, April 10 (Itar-Tass) - The Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the People's Republic of China (PRC), Yun Byung-se and Wang Yi, step up diplomatic efforts so as to prevent an upsurge in tension on the Korean Peninsula, the ROK Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. "The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries have agreed to make every possible diplomatic efforts, including closed-door working contacts, with a view to preventing a further escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula, as well as to ensure peace and stability in the region," the ROK Foreign Ministry statement points out. The foreign-policy chiefs of the two countries also discussed the nuclear problem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the forthcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Seoul. The two Ministers' telephone conversation was held at a request of the Chinese side, a ROK Ministry official said. Meanwhile, Pyongyang, apart from the recent series of rocket launchings, does not rule out the possibility of conducting a "nuclear test of a new type", Yonhap news agency points out in this connection. Such actions and statements of the North sharply exacerbated tension in Northeast Asia, and gave rise to an increased concern in the sphere of security. Learn more on itar-tass.com