The U.S. government said Thursday it was contemplating whether to accept China's invitation to an informal multilateral meeting that would set the stage for a rare meeting with the North Koreans.
China recently suggested a mid-September gathering with the U.S., the two Koreas, Japan and Russia attended by their senior officials and academics.
China proposed Sept. 18 as a candidate date for the event, intended to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.
The six countries are members of the Beijing-based negotiations last held in December 2008.
North Korea is expected to send its nuclear envoy, Ri Yong-ho, to the proposed session, according to a diplomatic source.
But the Barack Obama administration was cautious about such a meeting at a time when North Korea's seriousness on dialogue remains untested and an American citizen is still jailed in the communist nation.
"The United States has not made a final decision on participation in this event," a State Department official said on the customary condition of anonymity.
China's top point man on Korea, Wu Dawei, traveled to North Korea last week for meetings with senior officials.
In Beijing, China's foreign ministry confirmed Thursday (local time) that the China Institute of International Studies, a state-run think tank, will "hold a seminar on Sept. 18 to review the past course of the six-party talks."
Ministry spokesman Hong Lei emphasized the importance of reviving the six-way talks, viewed by many as one of the best mechanisms to deal with North Korea's nuclear weapons drive.
"The six-party talks remain an important platform for the realization of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and also an important mechanism for the improvement of relations between relevant parties," Hong said. "We hope that our relevant parties will stick to the six-party talks and solve relevant issues through dialogue."
Next week, meanwhile, the U.S. is sending a delegation specializing in North Korea issues to Northeast Asia for regular consultations.
"A U.S. delegation led by Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies will travel to the Republic of Korea, China and Japan Sept. 8-13 for meetings with senior officials in each country to discuss North Korea policy," the State Department announced.
The team will visit Seoul on Monday and Tuesday, where Davies will meet his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yong, followed by trips to Beijing and Tokyo, it said.
In the Chinese capital, Davies plans to have discussions with Wu Dawei, special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs. (Yonhap News)
