China has been in close contact with key countries over stability on the Korean Peninsula, following the death of Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by phone that safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula served the common interests of all parties and China was ready to work with Russia toward that end.

Lavrov said Russia would continue close communications and coordination with China to maintain the peace and stability in the region.

The two ministers also said their countries would further boost the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new year.

Yang took the same stance in a phone conversation on Tuesday with his Japanese counterpart, Koichiro Gemba, who shared Yang's view over the significance of a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula, saying Japan would maintain close communications with China on the matter.

The two ministers said both countries would work together to ensure the success of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's planned trip to China to lay a good foundation for next year's 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations.

In separate phone conversations with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan of Republic of Korea (ROK) on Tuesday, Yang pointed out the importance of safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Both Clinton and Kim said their countries would maintain close communication and coordination with China in this regard.

Yang also said China was ready to enhance dialogue and cooperation with the United States and ROK to advance bilateral ties with both countries in the new year.

Both Clinton and Kim expressed the wish to promote relations between their countries and China.

In the United Nations (UN), the Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Li Baodong went to the residence of the Permanent Mission of DPRK to the UN Tuesday to express condolences over the passing of Kim Jong Il.

Sin Son Ho, the DPRK's permanent representative to the UN, expressed his appreciation of Li's visit. He said the DPRK people were immersed in deep grief over the loss of the great leader.

The DPRK people would turn their grief into strength, continuing to forge ahead the socialist cause of the DPRK, and intensifying the DPRK-China traditional friendly relationship of cooperation, Sin told Li.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Pak Myong Ho, charge d'affaires of the DPRK embassy in Beijing.

He expressed the belief the DPRK people would remain united with the leadership of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK) and comrade Kim Jong Un, turn their sorrow into strength, achieve new progress in socialist construction, and make new contributions to realizing the sustainable peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK expressed thanks for the condolences from China, saying the passing of comrade Kim was a huge loss for the WPK and revolution, and the DPRK people would closely unite around the WPK and comrade Kim Jong Un to continuously advance the DPRK's socialist cause, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the WPK, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean Peoples Army, died from a great mental and physical strain at 8:30 a.m. Saturday (2330 GMT Friday), on a train during a field guidance tour.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the DPRK embassy in Beijing Tuesday morning to express his condolences.

Hu said it was the persistent policy of the Chinese Government and the Communist Party of China to continuously consolidate and develop the traditionally friendly relations with the DPRK.

Top Chinese officials Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang offered their condolences at the embassy on Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2011)