US and North Korean negotiators have agreed to keep diplomatic channels open after three days of closed-door talks to defuse the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.
A last-minute huddle between China's foreign minister and US and North Korean negotiators appeared to have secured the pledge despite Pyongyang reportedly admitting it already had nuclear weapons.
"All the participating parties considered the Beijing talksa good beginning of a process leading to the settlement of the North Korea nuclear issue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
"All the parties agreed to further study the positions ofother sides and liaise through diplomatic channels onfurthering the Beijing talks," he said.
He made no mention of US assertions that communist NorthKorea made a dramatic claim to already having nuclear weapons during three days of talks at the secluded Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
A North Korea armed with weapons of mass destruction would increase the threat to neighbouring Japan, China and South Korea and the 37,000 US troops based there, and make it harder to craft a solution to the six-month-old nuclear standoff.
US President George W. Bush dismissed the North'sassertion as "the old blackmail game" and administrationofficials said it came as no surprise.