Korean Peninsula steps welcomed by Beijing

Beijing said on Friday that it welcomes moves to improve ties on the Korean Peninsula, after Pyongyang and Seoul agreed to have high-level talks next week.

Seoul said on Friday that Pyongyang had accepted its proposal for the talks set for Tuesday over issues including Pyongyang's possible participation in the Winter Olympics.

As a neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China welcomes and supports the positive moves both sides have taken recently, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, calling for the international community to support such moves and work together to reduce tensions on the peninsula.

China has made relentless efforts and played a constructive role to solve the Korean Peninsula issue, Geng said.

"Under circumstances where the situation on the peninsula is complicated and sensitive, China has always been a rational and calm voice, and has always been working to persuade all parties to get back to talks," the spokesman said.

Geng called for countries involved to work with China, take on their due responsibility and seize this positive development on the peninsula.

The agreement to have the high-level talks came as Seoul and Washington agreed to delay their regular joint drills in light of the Winter Olympics, which will be held in the Republic of Korea in February.

"This is no doubt a good thing," Geng said, urging all parties to take the opportunity of the Winter Olympics to make concrete efforts for a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue.

In another development, Geng said China has always implemented, fully and strictly, the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and has never allowed its citizens or companies to conduct activities that would go against the resolutions.

He made the remarks while responding to reports that vessels owned by Chinese companies changed their flag countries and places of registry to circumvent the Security Council's sanctions on Pyongyang.

"China will penalize seriously according to law any activity that investigation shows has indeed violated the resolutions," Geng said.

China does not know about the specifics of the operation of ships registered in a third country, as the international shipping business is highly open and it's highly common for ships to change their flag countries and places of registry, the spokesman added.

The Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs jointly released a statement on Friday that said China will implement Resolution 2397, adopted by the UN Security Council last month, beginning on Saturday.

UN member states will ban exports including iron and steel as well as manufacturing machinery and trucks to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Their export volume of crude oil and refined petroleum products to the country will be limited during a period of 12 months beginning on Dec 23 and Jan 1, respectively. They will not be allowed to import agricultural or timber products, among other things, from the country.