And third, China believes that the DPRK nuclear issue became more complicated because US-DPRK relations deteriorated and it can be resolved only if their bilateral ties normalize, which is precisely the aim of the Six-Party Talks.

As the host of the Six-Party Talks, China's response to the rational demands of all parties is impartial, including the desire of Washington and Pyongyang to hold direct talks. China's role in establishing the Six-Party Talks is irreplaceable. Northeast Asia cannot achieve lasting peace and stability without China playing a positive role in the region. So talks of the DPRK "freeing itself of" and the US "offsetting" China's influence doesn't arise.

Whether the US-DPRK talks would achieve the desired goals depends on the two parties' sincerity. Both countries are responsible for the failure of previous bilateral talks. For instance, the DPRK raised some impractical demands — such as compensation for abandoning its nuclear program — while lack of sincerity prompted the US to even consider a "reward" for DPRK if it agreed to direct talks.

But that does not mean previous US-DPRK talks were meaningless. Instead, the experiences and lessons learnt from them will ensure the success of future talks. That's why the second direct talks between the US and the DPRK in Geneva have raised high hopes. Hopes are high also because of three other factors.

One, Washington has been taking keen interest in the Korean Peninsula issue since US President Barack Obama assumed office without inheriting George W. Bush's suppression policy. Troubled by the increasingly severe financial crisis and social chaos, and with the US presidential election approaching, the Obama administration is anxious to find a breakthrough in foreign affairs and resolve the DPRK's nuclear issue.

Two, the DPRK's immediate concern is to develop the economy and improve people's livelihood to consolidate the new leadership. Starting from its domestic demands for economic construction, the DPRK has been eager to interact with the international community to come out of its "isolation". But international investors are still reluctant to enter the DPRK because of the US' financial sanction. No wonder then that the DPRK is trying to improve its ties with the US and the ROK and facilitate the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.

Three, China, the ROK and Russia want to resume the Six-Party Talks not to only resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis, but also prove to the world that negotiations can solve any international problem more effectively than military means. Not for nothing have Northeast Asian countries reached a consensus to maintain peace and stability in the region and overcome difficulties created by the global financial crisis by intensifying international economic cooperation.

The Korean Peninsula has been the playground of big powers since the Cold War. Because of the many tangling factors in US-DPRK relations such as complicated international politics and economic struggle, it is not possible to solve all the problems through just a couple of meetings. But we hope the US-DPRK meeting in Geneva is a good prelude to the Six-Party Talks.

The author is director of Border Area Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the China Daily website.