China said Thursday that it wants the six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program to resume as soon as possible, Reuters reported. "If we're prepared and each side agrees, then sooner the better," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news briefing, explaining that no date had been set for a re-start. A Japanese official said Pyongyang had suffered as a result of financial curbs imposed by the US last year in response to evidence that the North was counterfeiting American currency and engaged in drug trafficking. Washington has said it would "address" North Korea's concerns about the financial crackdown – which led Pyongyang to boycott negotiations – at the next round of talks. The talks would include representatives from the two Koreas, China, the US, Japan and Russia.
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