Seoul, Feb 13, SPA -- China has pledged to try and revive talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programs. The United States and other countries involved in thesix-party talks have called on China to use its influenceover North Korea. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing spoke Saturday night by phonewith U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and saidBeijing stands firm in supporting a nuclear-free KoreanPeninsula, the Chinese government said Sunday. Li told Rice that "China will stay in touch with allrelevant parties ... so that the six-party talks could beresumed as soon as possible," the Foreign Ministry said.The discussions also involve South Korea, Russia and Japan. South Korea's foreign minister also said he had discussedwith U.S. officials "views that China should strengthenefforts to persuade the North," according to a report bySouth Korea's Yonhap news agency. Ban Ki-moon is inWashington on a previously scheduled trip and was to meetRice on Monday.--SPA1154 Local Time 0854 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/239072