U.S. Nuclear Envoy to Visit Beijing (N Korea leader there)

[NVMojo]

BEIJING (AP) -

The top U.S. nuclear envoy planned to visit Beijing on Tuesday amid a report that North Korea's reclusive leader may be prepared to enter China on a special train.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was due to arrive after meeting with his Japanese counterpart Kenichiro Sasae on Monday in Tokyo. The two agreed to cooperate with China, Russia and South Korea to bring the North back to stalled six-nation talks aimed at persuading the reclusive regime to give up its nuclear ambitions.

But Hill stressed the U.S. would be open to meeting with the North as long as other countries were involved. "We can look at other formats," Hill said in Tokyo earlier Tuesday. "The time for organized, multilateral diplomacy in Asia is now."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Hill would meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei, China's point-man in the six-nation nuclear talks, as well as Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, the country's chief envoy in charge of nonproliferation issues.

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http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-asia/2006/sep/05/090508474.html