Diplomatic efforts to revive six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear arms programme gathered pace in Tokyo today.
China's envoy to the six-way talks met his Japanese counterpart this morning and then met North Korea's chief delegate, diplomatic sources said.
Speculation had been growing that the North Korean envoy and US envoy Christopher Hill would meet on the sidelines of a private security forum in Tokyo and manage to create the momentum for the resumption of the six-way talks, which are aimed at preventing a nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.
The six countries agreed in September that North Korea would end all nuclear programmes in return for aid and a promise for security and better diplomatic ties.
But the last session in November aimed at devising a plan to implement that deal made no progress.
North Korea has said it would be unreasonable to resume the talks until Washington ended a crackdown on firms it suspects of aiding Pyongyang in illicit activities, such as counterfeiting US currency and money laundering.
The talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.