Six-party talks aimed at ending the crisis over North Korea's nuclear ambitions resumed on today after a one-year break with positive signals from both Washington and Pyongyang.
Although few expect a breakthrough this week in Beijing, the atmosphere in the run-up to the fourth round of discussions between the two Koreas, the United States, Russia, Japan and China has been upbeat.
The United States held a rare one-on-one meeting with North Korea yesterday and planned another today, raising hopes of a less confrontational approach to discussions which have dragged on for nearly three years.
US officials described the atmosphere at Monday's meeting, which lasted for 75 minutes, as positive and "businesslike".
"Opening talks is important. But what's more important is to achieve actual progress such as denuclearisation," North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan said at today's opening session.
"Our delegation is fully ready for this and we believe other parties including the United States are also ready for it."
US negotiator Christopher Hill responded in kind, with reassurances that Washington believed the North, which it once branded part of an "axis of evil", was a sovereign state which it would not attack.
"We view DPRK's sovereignty as a matter of fact. The United States has absolutely no intention to invade or attack the DPRK," Mr Hill said.
But a North Korean source told Russia's Interfax news agency that major disagreements remained after Monday's bilateral meeting.
"The US is still adhering to its previous position that bilateral relations can be brought back to normal, and security guarantees and energy assistance can be provided, only after the DPRK dismantles its nuclear facilities," the source said.