Washington and Pyongyang have both told China they hope to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully with the ultimate goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday.Wen made his comments only days after an unannounced trip by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to China and two weeks after a visit by US Vice-President Dick Cheney. If the two sides worked together and pressed on with talks, there was still hope for a peaceful end to the 19-month-old standoff, Wen said.‘‘They (North Korea and the US) both expressed their respective willingness to continue with the six-party talks and facilitate a solution to the issue. They both endorsed the ultimate objective of realising a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula,’’ Wen said.Meanwhile, US Missile Defence Agency director USAF Lt Gen Ron Kadish said on Tuesday that the anti-missile system against North Korean missiles should be ready by the end of the year. By that time, about 10 interceptors are expected to be alert at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Further, The Washington Post reported today that the US is set to increase the estimated number of nuclear bombs in North Korea to ‘‘at least eight’’ in place of the earlier CIA estimate of two nuclear devices.
