Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and senior Chinese officials on Sunday discussed the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, as China reportedly said it saw "discord and distrust" between Washington and Pyongyang. Kawaguchi told Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan that Japan believed it was vital to hold another round of six-party talks this month, so that the momentum of previous rounds would not be lost, Japanese foreign ministry official Hatsuhisa Takashima told reporters. Kawaguchi expressed Japan's "deep appreciation" of China's diplomatic efforts to arrange another round of talks, Takashima said. "We would like to see that this effort of the Chinese government would bear fruit, and the next round of six-party talks would be held by the end of this month," he said. Tang said China still saw "discord and distrust" between the United States and North Korea, and urged Japan to make more effort to persuade Washington to take part in another round of talks "in good faith", Takashima said. Tang and Kawaguchi also informally discussed reports of a huge explosion last Thursday in North Korea, he said, but made "no further exchange of information". "We are aware of this press report," he said, referring to a report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency. "However, we do not have any independent information .... We are checking." --more 1320 Local Time 1020 GMT
