Chinese envoy visits NKorea to discuss stalled 6-nation talks aimed at ending nuclear program

BEIJING – China says its top nuclear envoy is in North Korea to discuss stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending that country's nuclear program.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday that Wu Dawei arrived in North Korea a day earlier for a "work discussion." He says the two sides will have in-depth discussions about the six-party talks and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea withdrew from the talks that also involve Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States five years ago. In September, it called for a new round of talks without preconditions. Washington first wants to see concrete steps by Pyongyang to demonstrate its sincerity about denuclearization.

Hong said China believes all sides should work to reopen the talks at an early date.