The U.S. says North Korea is a sovereign state, and does not intend to attack it, the US Secretary of State said in Beijing this Sunday. According to Condoleezza Rice, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Christopher Hill confirmed this position at talks with North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan on Saturday. The North Korean state news agency said on Saturday that Pyongyang had agreed to re-open the six-country negotiations on nuclear arms. The announcement came after Guy Gwan and Hill held their talks in Beijing on Saturday. 'The parties agreed to resume the six-party talks "in the week of July 25," the agency said. Rice said that the U.S. waited impatiently for progress at the six-party negotiations. According to Rice, intensive diplomatic efforts of all the parties, including China, South Korea and Russia, led to a decision to re-open negotiations.
At her talks with China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing earlier this Sunday, Rice said that the resumption of the six-party negotiations was just a first step and that progress in future discussions was the real issue. Rice also met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. The U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Beijing on a 20-hour visit on Saturday evening.