US and North Korea begin talks

US AND North Korean envoys began talks in Beijing yesterday to resolve a stand-off over the North's suspected nuclear weapons programme [[[[]]]] the first face-to-face meeting between the nations in six months.

US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly would not answer reporters' questions after a first day of talks with North Korean and Chinese diplomats.

A US Embassy official said she had no details on what was discussed in the talks, which continue until tomorrow.

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the talks gave the three countries a chance to put forth their views amid heightened tensions over the North's nuclear programmes which Pyongyang says are not for military purposes.

"In this first set of meetings, nothing is being put on the table," Mr Powell said. "They will hear what we think about the situation. They will hear our strong views. We expect the North Koreans to present their views strongly and we certainly expect the Chinese to present their views strongly."

US officials have said they want a "verifiable, irreversible end to North Korea's nuclear programme," while the North's leaders have accused Washington of planning to target them after Iraq.

Washington said the North revealed to Mr Kelly in October the last meeting between US and North Korean officials that it was trying to develop nuclear weapons in violation of a 1994 pledge. The North disputes the US claim, saying its nuclear programmes are for producing electricity.

North Korea subsequently withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has taken steps to begin producing plutonium-based nuclear weapons, alarming its neighbours.