[Yonhap, 1 July; Washington Post, 2 July] Following last week's declaration by North Korea of its nuclear activities and the demolition of the cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear weapons complex, China has reportedly called for the next round of talks between itself and Japan, Russia, the USA, and North and South Korea. "China formally proposed that a new round of six-party talks be convened in the latter half of next week," a source in Seoul told the Yonhap news agency. He added, "The South Korean side received the notification on late Monday." North Korea's documentation will be examined by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the other members of the Six Parties ahead of a new round of talks. In response to North Korea's moves, the USA has made political concessions, but remains guarded on the future of the long-running process. Kyodo News quoted US envoy Christopher Hill as saying, "The first issue that we need to work out... is the issue of verification." The USA still has concerns regarding North Korea's uranium enrichment activities and possible proliferation to Syria. North Korea reportedly sent a private message to Washington acknowledging such concerns just days before its declaration was submitted.