"The Chinese side is ready to make joint efforts with all the parties concerned to overcome difficulties, create conditions, promote the six-party talks, and jointly maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia."

Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on July 15 strongly urging North Korea to return immediately to the six-party talks without precondition

"Guo [Boxiong]'s visit will help promote China-U.S. strategic trust on traditional security and expand cooperation on non-traditional security fields."

Yang Yi, researcher at the National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, on the U.S. tour of Guo Boxiong, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission and the highest-ranking military officer to visit the United States since 2001

"We believe that the proposed package is a suitable and acceptable basis to work on, but we believe that this package should be developed through talks. If they refer the case to the Security Council, no matter what the [UN] resolution will be, it means that they have not adopted the path of talks."

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, after world powers decided to refer Iran's case back to the UN Security Council on July 12 for Tehran failing to respond to a set of incentive proposals

"It shows that Japan is now a healthy economy with a functioning banking system and ready to get away from the zero interest rate funding costs. It's very good news for Japan."

Jasper Koll, Chief Economist with Merrill Lynch, Tokyo, on the Japanese central bank's first lifting of key short-term interest rates in six years, to 0.25 percent from virtually zero

"I have seen with my own eyes six rockets launched by Hezbollah forces land 200 meters from us into the sea and explode, stirring huge swirls in the water for a long while."

Zhao Chunhong, Chinese construction engineering contractor in Israel