China on Monday called on the United States and North Korea to move ahead with stalled nuclear talks for regional stability, with Pyongyang having been putting pressure on Washington to change what it regards as one-sided demands by the end of this year.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also said at a regular press briefing that "pressure and sanctions cannot resolve any problem," apparently signaling for the United States to make concessions to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Geng's remarks came a day after Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, issued a statement urging the United States to present a proposal within this year to break the impasse in bilateral negotiations.