China on Monday expressed hopes for a positive outcome from the upcoming talks between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Beijing.

"We welcome the DPRK and the United States to hold their third high-level dialogues in Beijing, and hope the talks will pave the way for the resumption of the six-party talks," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing.

An interagency team of U.S. officials led by U.S. Special Representative for DPRK Policy Glyn Davies will meet with a DPRK delegation led by its First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing on Feb. 23, according to the U.S. State Department.

"China hopes to maintain contact and coordination with all parties involved to jointly promote the six-party process and contribute to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia," Hong said.

Former U.S. Special Representative for DPRK Policy Stephen Bosworth met with DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in late July in New York and in late October in Geneva last year over the possible resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The six-party talks, which involve the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, were launched in 2003, but were stalled in December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.