N Korea adamant on nuclear row despite China urge

Tokyao, May 7 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had refused to return to six-party talks on ending his country's nuclear arms programmes when he held talks with a senior Chinese official late last month, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported today.

Quoting unspecified diplomatic sources in Washington, Kyodo said Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan had made a secret visit to Pyongyang on April 27-28 and held talks with the North Korean leader.

In his talks, Tang called for North Korea to return to the stalled six-party talks aimed at halting Pyongyang's nuclear arms programmes and helping the isolated communist state join the global community, Kyodo said.

But Kim insisted that Washington first lift financial sanctions on the reclusive communist state, Kyodo said.

The two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- agreed in September that Pyongyang would dismantle its nuclear programmes in exchange for aid and security assurances. But the last talks ended in November without progress.

North Korea has said it is impossible to return to the talks while Washington is imposing a crackdown on financial institutions that it suspects of assisting Pyongyang in money laundering and counterfeiting US currency.

The US Treasury Department last year said Macau's Banco Delta Asia was involved in North Korea's illicit activities and froze 20 million dollars in the North's funds in the bank.

North Korea denies any involvement in such activities, and has demanded that the freeze on the million be lifted.

Reuters