At 9 AM, August 27, 2003, the six-party talks began at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Heads of the delegations to the talks were Wang Yi, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Yong Il, DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister, James Kelly, Assistant US Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Alexander Losiukov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Lee Soo-Hyuck, ROK Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Mitoji Yabunaka, Director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Ministry of Japan. They earnestly and comprehensively expounded their principled stance and proposals on resolving the Korean nuclear issue.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi extended welcome to the visiting delegations in his opening speech,saying that the six-party talks were not only the continuation and expansion of the trilateral talks held last April in Beijing, but also a new start. The objective of the talks was to peacefully resolve the Korean nuclear issue through dialogue. China would spare no efforts to ensure the six-party talks proceed smoothly.

The DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Russia and Japan thanked China once again for its role in making the talks a reality and providing good facilities and conditions for the talks, expecting that the dialogue would help dissolve suspicion and establish trust through dialogue, and resolve the Korean nuclear issue peacefully. They also agreed that the six-party talks offered a rare opportunity for peace in northeast Asia and the participants pledged to make due contributions for advancing the talks.