The United States and North Korea were as far apart as ever today after nuclear crisis talks, with Washington insisting Pyongyang disclose its uranium enrichment program.
The communist North denies such a program, the issue that triggered a crisis 20 months ago and led to three rounds of inconclusive six-nation talks in Beijing.
The third round closed yesterday with agreement to meet again before the end of September and a pledge to take the first steps to resolve the crisis "as soon as possible." Working-level talks would be held in late July, Russia's envoy to the talks said.
China's chief negotiator, Mr Wang Yi, said the main gap was between the United States and North Korea.
"There are serious differences between the two sides over the uranium enrichment program," Mr Wang told a news conference.
The parties had agreed that a freeze of the North's nuclear activities should be a first step, he said.
North Korea stressed its readiness to freeze plutonium-based nuclear facilities but refused to accept the US demand that it admit to having a uranium enrichment program, which can be used for making bombs, a diplomatic source in Beijing said.
North Korea also rejected proposals by the United States and Japan to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts to inspect its nuclear facilities for verification. The source said Pyongyang had demanded a "different form of inspection."