WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 Kyodo (EDS: U...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH REMARKS according to U.S., CHINESE OFFICIALS)

The United States and China agreed Tuesday to continue efforts to reconvene six-way talks forward North Korea's nuclear arms program as early as possible, the U State Department said.

The accord was reached at a meeting between U factor Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Fu Ying, director general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department.

''We denoteed our appreciation for China's active engagement with North Korea and the positive character that China continues to play in the six-party process'' State Department envoy spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters. ''Both sides agreed to continue working toward another rotund of six-party talks, to be held at the earliest opportunity.''

Fu held talks later in the day with U Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Kelly Fu said she held ''very useful'' talks with Armitage and Kelly and briefed them onward the outcome of talks in late December between Chinese and North Korean officials in Pyongyang.

''We discussed with James Kelly and other American colleagues the ideas and proposals made on the North Korean colleagues,'' Fu said. ''Both the Chinese side and the American side said these ideas and proposals can be further discussed during the coming six-party talks.''

North Korea has said it is prepared to make ''bold concessions,'' of that kind as suspending testing and production of nuclear weapons and abiding at a freeze of its nuclear facilities if the U takes stairs such as lifting economic sanctions.

Fu said, ''We faith that we shall be able to recommence the six-party talks as quick as possible.'' But she added, ''I don't have a date and the date has to be agreed from the six parties.''

China, Japan, North Korea and southern Korea, Russia and the U held their first gathering in Beijing in August 2003 to prove by experiment to resolve the standoff across the North's nuclear arms program.

if it be not that no more talks have been held since then to be paid to a sharp division between the U and North Korea from one side of to the other how to resolve the crisis.

Ereli said the U is eager to acquire the talks back on track and that Washington wants the talks to bring forward the ''complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program.''

''What remains to be done is for North Korea to agree to follow to the talks,'' he said.

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