CHINA: In a surprise development in the North Korean nuclear crisis, the leader of the reclusive Stalinist state Kim Jong-il appeared to express regret over his country's nuclear test to a visiting Chinese envoy and indicated Pyongyang would return to six-nation talks and cease testing if Washington scaled back its campaign to financially isolate North Korea.
South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted a diplomatic source in China as saying Mr Kim expressed regret to state councillor and former foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan about the difficult position in which its October 9th nuclear test had placed Beijing.
"If the United States gives in to a certain degree, we will also do so, whether it's bilateral talks or six-party talks," Mr Kim said, according to a Chinese diplomatic source.
These developments came on the same day as US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing to convince China to step up pressure on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions. She described the test as a "strong provocation".
Growing speculation that the North was readying a second nuclear device eased after a Chinese diplomatic source said Mr Tang had been told there would be no more tests.
"I understand he expressed clearly there was no plan to conduct nuclear tests," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted the source as saying.
Ms Rice met Mr Tang just hours after the former Chinese foreign minister returned from Pyongyang to deliver what was believed to have been a "very strong message" after last week's nuclear test.
Intriguingly, Mr Tang said of his visit: "Fortunately my visit this time has not been in vain."
Ms Rice, who is on a tour of eastern Asia to rally support for sanctions, said Mr Tang had made clear to them that Beijing would fully implement the UN sanctions. This may have helped bring about a softening of the North Korean position.
The nuclear test earned almost unanimous worldwide condemnation and led to economic and weapons sanctions by the UN.
The developments look increasingly like a diplomatic coup for Beijing, North Korea's only significant allies, who were reportedly furious at the decision to test a nuclear weapon on October 9th. China's large amounts of energy and food aid to North Korea are believed to be helping to prop up the regime.
China's foreign minister Li Zhaoxing said Mr Tang and the North Koreans had discussed ways of renewing long-stalled talks about getting rid of Pyongyang's nuclear programmes.
"Everyone discussed how to restart progress in the six-party talks as quickly as possible," Mr Li said.
The talks, hosted by Beijing, include North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China. They have not taken place in almost a year since Washington imposed restrictions on Pyongyang's external financing.
Prime minister Wen Jiabao again underlined Beijing's view that negotiations were preferable to strong-arm tactics.