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South Korea Hails US-China Stance on North Korea Nuclear Issue

U.S. President Barack Obama looks on as Chinese President Hu Jintao speaks during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, 19 Jan 2011

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Last updated on: January 19, 2011 7:00 PM

South Korea is praising a joint statement issued by the leaders of the United States and China about North Korea's nuclear program.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, held talks at the White House Wednesday on a range of issues, including Pyongyang’s disclosure last November that it had set up a uranium enrichment facility.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Hu expressed concern about North Korea's claimed uranium enrichment program and called for the "necessary steps" that would permit an "early resumption" of the six-nation negotiations to end the North's nuclear ambitions.

The two presidents also agreed on "the critical importance" of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun urged Pyongyang to halt all of its nuclear activities during a press briefing Thursday in Seoul.

The six-nation talks, which include Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S., have been stalled since Pyongyang walked away from the negotiating table in 2009.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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