N. Korea, China discuss ways to resume nuclear talks: Beijing

China's top negotiator on the North Korean nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, has been holding talks with his North Korean counterpart in Pyongyang on restarting the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program, the Chinese foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Wu arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, the North's state media said in a one-line report, without giving details of his itinerary.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters during a regular press briefing that Wu has been holding "consultations with the DPRK (North Korea) side."

"The major topic of the consultations is the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as the resumption of the six-party talks," Hong said.

This week's visit by Wu to North Korea is his first this year and the first since North Korea shocked the world by executing the once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last December.

Pyongyang's state media made no mention of what Wu discussed with North Korean officials, with the Korean Central News Agency only reporting that the Chinese envoy made a visit to a horse-riding club and an indoor shooting gallery in the capital city.

Since its third nuclear test in February last year, North Korea has repeatedly expressed its willingness to reopen the six-party talks "without preconditions," but Seoul and Washington have demanded Pyongyang demonstrate its sincerity first by taking steps toward denuclearization.

China has been more accommodating toward North Korea, urging South Korea and the U.S. to lower the bar for sitting down at the negotiating table.

The six-party talks, which involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, have been dormant since late 2008.

(Yonhap)