Pyongyang offers steps to restart stalled six-party talks

A North Korean envoy made it clear to President Xi Jinping yesterday that Pyongyang is willing to take steps to rejoin long-stalled six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programme, according to mainland media.

Vice-Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, the special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, also presented Xi with a handwritten letter from Kim at yesterday's meeting in Beijing. Media reports did not say what it said.

Choe told Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan on Thursday that North Korea was willing to "have talks" with all parties, but stopped short of naming the six-party talks.

The US and South Korea said in response that it was too early to say whether Pyongyang was serious about rejoining the talks, which it abandoned in 2009.

Choe told Xi that Pyongyang would act to foster peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

"North Korea is willing to make joint efforts with all parties to appropriately resolve related issues through multilateral dialogue and consultations like the six-party talks, and to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula," China Central Television quoted Choe as saying.