denuclearisation

He said the premier, Wen Jiabao, would push for denuclearisation and a return to the six-party talks.

However, it left the door open to Pyongyang rejoining six-party talks on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"The denuclearisation of the peninsula was the behest of President Kim Il-sung, " it quoted Kim as saying about his father.

Intra-Korean relations deteriorated drastically after that, as he tied provision of aid to Pyongyang's co-operation on denuclearisation.

She added that if the North wanted to end its isolation it also had to meet denuclearisation pledges made during the Bush administration.

China appealed for all sides to "exercise calmness and restraint" and for "concerted efforts" to resume the denuclearisation talks.

Christopher Hill, a senior American diplomat, visited North Korea to try to rescue a deal on denuclearisation.

Last summer it blew up the plant's cooling tower to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearisation.

Negotiations over the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula look set to resume.

Moreover, China, which has the greatest leverage over its neighbour, prizes the regime's stability above even denuclearisation.

China strongly urged Pyongyang to promote denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

While still facing a long and arduous journey to denuclearisation, the talks are making the most progress in a decade.

Mr Lee promises that South Korean aid to the North will henceforth be closely tied to progress on denuclearisation.

That depended, Mr Hill said, on North Korea's future efforts towards denuclearisation.

China, North Korea's backer, insists on denuclearisation talks as the way to settle the peninsula's problems.