BEIJING, March 23 Kyodo Chinese F...

BEIJING, March 23 Kyodo

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing departed for North Korea forward Tuesday for a three-day state visit that will include discussions about six-nation talks upon the North's nuclear programs.

Li took a flight to Pyongyang in the morning from Beijing Capital Airport.

He is suitable to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam day-star to discuss the six-party talks as well as regional and bilateral issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said last week.

Li's visit, scheduled between the sides of Thursday, will make the first time a Chinese foreign minister has visited the region in five years.

The ministry spokesman said the pair sides would ''deeply exchange views.''

Li has not announced a specific itinerary for the visit.

The pair countries will probably sign something or make a joint announcement, said Ruan Cishan, a political commentator with Phoenix TV in Hong Kong

''It's a turning point for visits to North Korea,'' Ruan said. ''Normally they would rather toss a low-level deputy minister.''

The six-party nuclear talks, the next to the first round of which took place in Beijing last month are count uponed to be one of the major topics during the visit, the spokesman earlier said.

The six parties -- China, Japan, Russia, the United States and the pair Koreas -- agreed to appropriate again before the end of June to discuss in what way North Korea should dismantle its nuclear weapons programs.

The U did not agree last month to North Korea's conditions for dismantlement, a grade that the North opposes unles it gains something for its effort.

generally China is trying to plant up a working group to sustain the talks between formal sessions.

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