North Korean leader Kim Jong-il Friday told a Chinese envoy that he was willing to engage in bilateral and multilateral talks on his country's controversial nuclear program, AFP reported quoting Chinese state media.
Kim told Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo that the North would continue to pursue the goal of "denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula after the pair discussed Pyongyang's nuclear program, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Kim said his country was "willing to resolve relevant problems via bilateral and multilateral talks," AFP said.
Kim met with Dai Bingguo, special envoy to Chinese President Hu Jintao, and the two discussed ways to promote bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.
Yonhap said Kim received a letter from Hu but it was not immediately known what was contained in the letter.
Dai's visit highlighted China's role as a mediator between North Korea and the United States, currently deadlocked in six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program.
The report gave no further details, but the meeting comes as the United States is considering holding direct talks with North Korea on nuclear disarmament.
On Wednesday, Dai exchanged "candid and in-depth" views with North Korea's first vice foreign minister, Kang Sok-ju, about bilateral relations and international issues. Kang is in charge of the North's diplomacy regarding the six-party talks aimed at ending the country's nuclear weapons program.
Dai was accompanied by Wu Dawei, China's chief envoy to the nuclear talks that also involve South Korea, the U.S., Japan and Russia.
The visit came ahead of an expected trip to Pyongyang by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao early next month to mediate envisioned one-on-one talks between North Korea and the United States.