Both the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) show flexibility as the six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula began in Beijing Tuesday.

While the United States said at the opening ceremony of the talks that it regards the DPRK as a sovereign state and has no intention to invade or attack it, the DPRK said it is ready to "sail to the goal" of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Chinese analysts described the opening remarks as demonstrating great flexibility if compared with what had happened in the previous three rounds that last from August 2003 to June 2004.

"It's a great progress for the United States to formally announce in the talks that it recognizes DPRK's sovereignty and promises not to invade or attack the country," said Wang Yizhou, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the well-known think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Such recognition and promise, if along with a peaceful settlement of the nuclear crisis, will clear the way for the U,S. and DPRK to forge diplomatic ties after decades of confrontation,"Wang said.

The US statement was of particular concern to the DPRK, which over the past years has repeatedly asked the United States to respect its sovereignty and normalize political and economic relations with it, while offering "definite assurance" of non-aggression against it.

"According to their stances, illustrated in the opening remarks, the differences between all sides are narrowing. There was more flexibility in DPRK and US plans though their fundamentalstances may remain unchanged, " said another Chinese scholar, Fu Mengzi.

The six nations held a meeting among heads of their delegations following the opening ceremony Tuesday. Bilateral meetings were also held on the sidelines of the meetings between several delegations, including between the DPRK and the United States.

A spokesman for the Chinese delegation described the meetings as "positive, serious and pragmatic."

"My impression is that ... all sides are expectant of certain progress for the round, and that they would take the opinions and concerns of the others seriously, and work vigorously to make the new round fruitful," said Qin Gang, spokesman for the Chinese delegation, at a briefing at the end of the day.

The six nations agreed in previous rounds to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but are yet to decide onthe approach to the goal within the framework of the six-party talks mechanism.

"The six-party talks offer a better future for the DPRK," said US chief negotiator Christopher Hill. If the DPRK decides to dismantle its nuclear program " permanently, fully, verifiably," the other parties including the U.S. are prepared to take corresponding measures consistent with the principle of words for words and actions for actions.

"The word-for-word and action-for-action manner has been mentioned in the previous rounds of talks but at that time the United States insisted that DPRK should give up its nuclear program first," said Fu Mengzi, director of the Institute of American studies under the China Academy of Contemporary International Relations.

"If all the parties agree to take action in that manner, the DPRK's worry on the implementation of agreements to be reached in the six-party talks would be eased to some extent. That will promote the talks towards some real progress," he said.

As the host nation, China, however, has warned that the road to a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula may be a complicated and zigzagging one.

"There is a common wish that the Korean Peninsula should be denuclearized through dialogue within the framework of the six-party talks," Qin Gang said when asked by reporters to commenton the first-day meeting. "But I think the road to the goal is a complicated one."

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing urged negotiators to be "flexible and pragmatic" so as to seek "positive" progress in the new round of negotiation.

"Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind toit," he quoted a traditional Chinese saying.

Negotiators from the ROK, Russia and Japan have also voiced thehope that the new round would bear some concrete results though Japan insisted the issue of DPRK's abduction of Japanese nationalsbe addressed as well.

Japan's chief negotiator Sasae Kenichiro said in his opening remarks that outstanding issues of concern such as nuclear, missiles and abduction should be resolved in a comprehensive manner.

However, the ROK delegation urged all parties concerned to focus their efforts on trying to realize the target of building a nuclear-weapons-free Korean Peninsula.

"It is not ideal for the parties concerned to distract from this target (of building a nuclear-weapons-free Korean Peninsula) during the new round of the six-party talks," said Song Min-soon, the ROK's delegation head and deputy foreign minister.

Chinese analysts said Japan's demand may add difficulties to the talks.

"Japan's insistence on discussing the abduction issue will makethe nuclear talks more complicated and will possibly hinder the progress," said Shen Jiru, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "That's because the DPRK is strongly opposed to raising the issue in the talks, and the other sides do not support that either."