Hill to visit Beijing to consult on six-party talks

HANOI, Nov 19 (Reuters) US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill will visit Beijing this week to consult Chinese officials about six-party talks on how to end North Korea's nuclear ambitions, US officials said today.

''He will be in Beijing to consult on six-party talks,'' said a US official who spoke on condition that he not be named because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

A second US official who asked not to be named confirmed Hill's plans. Neither gave the date of his talks, which are likely to occur before Thursday's US Thanksgiving holiday.

A third US official said the United States and China were growing closer in their views on what North Korea should be ready to do at the next round of six-way talks, which include the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

US officials said this week they wanted Pyongyang to come to the next round of talks prepared to take ''concrete'' steps to show that it is committed to ending its nuclear weapons programs. No date has yet been set for such talks.

''We have been saying for some time now that we want to see a successful first round and that depended on us being able to have a consensus on that with the Chinese and I think we are beginning to achieve that,'' said the third US official.

REUTERS SSC ND1356