China is the North’s major ally and provides it with a crucial fuel and food lifeline. It has so far refused even to condemn the North for its attack.
Amid high tensions on the Korean Peninsula, China's most senior foreign policymaker has paid a visit to North Korea on Thursday and met there the leader Kim Jong-Il, official media reported.
"The two sides reached consensus on bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula after candid and in-depth talks," said a brief report from China's Xinhua news agency, datelined Pyongyang.
The North's official news agency said only that the delegations discussed "issues of mutual concern" and efforts further to improve friendly relations.
The visit was the first such move by China since the North's November 23 shelling of a South Korean border island, which left two South Korean marines and two civilians killed.
China is the North’s major ally and provides it with a crucial fuel and food lifeline. It has so far refused even to condemn the North for the attack. Beijing has come under increasing pressure from the United States and US allies to rein in North Korea following last month’s incident.
On Wednesday the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, accused China of ducking its responsibility to keep Pyongyang in line, as he announced more joint military exercises with South Korea.
"The Chinese have enormous influence over the North, influence that no other nation on earth enjoys. And yet, despite a shared interest in reducing tensions, they appear unwilling to use it," Mullen said.
"Even tacit approval of Pyongyang's brazenness leaves all their neighbours asking what will be next," he added before heading for Japan for talks on defence cooperation.
US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will lead a high-level delegation to Beijing next week to consult on developments on the Korean peninsula.
On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her counterparts from South Korea and Japan had held talks in Washington that ended with a call for China to step up and do more.
"The two sides reached consensus on bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula after candid and in-depth talks," said a brief report from China's Xinhua news agency, datelined Pyongyang.
The North's official news agency said only that the delegations discussed "issues of mutual concern" and efforts further to improve friendly relations.
The visit was the first such move by China since the North's November 23 shelling of a South Korean border island, which left two South Korean marines and two civilians killed.
China is the North’s major ally and provides it with a crucial fuel and food lifeline. It has so far refused even to condemn the North for the attack. Beijing has come under increasing pressure from the United States and US allies to rein in North Korea following last month’s incident.
On Wednesday the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, accused China of ducking its responsibility to keep Pyongyang in line, as he announced more joint military exercises with South Korea.
"The Chinese have enormous influence over the North, influence that no other nation on earth enjoys. And yet, despite a shared interest in reducing tensions, they appear unwilling to use it," Mullen said.
"Even tacit approval of Pyongyang's brazenness leaves all their neighbours asking what will be next," he added before heading for Japan for talks on defence cooperation.
US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will lead a high-level delegation to Beijing next week to consult on developments on the Korean peninsula.
On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her counterparts from South Korea and Japan had held talks in Washington that ended with a call for China to step up and do more.
