China called the resumption of dialogue a "big step" forward, although few analysts expect a major breakthrough with North Korea making clear it believes the United States must make the concessions.

"The talks have been proceeding in a calm, quiet and smooth way," South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Shin Bongkil said after the opening three-and-half-hour session.

He refused to disclose what each delegate said, but asked if they maintained their established positions, he answered: "You may say so."

The United States wants the Stalinist regime's nuclear programs dismantled before it considers economic assistance and diplomatic normalization, but North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper Wednesday said the country would not back down unless it was first given US security guarantees.

"The US should not attempt to force the DPRK (North Korea) to dismantle its nuclear deterrent force by making an empty promise or giving written 'security assurances' without any legal binding," said Pyongyang's mouthpiece.

Washington must "clarify its will to make a switchover in its hostile policy with the DPRK and conclude a non-aggression treaty with it", it added.

"This would be key to the success of the six-way talks. Without this, it would be impossible to expect substantial results from the talks."

The three-day talks at the Diaoyutai state guest house in western Beijing are being attended by the United States, North Korea and the Stalinist state's four neighbours -- China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

US envoy James Kelly, who sparked the crisis last October by saying North Korea had admitted having a secret nuclear program in violation of a 1994 bilateral accord, has made no comments.

Washington believes North Korea diverted enough plutonium for around two nuclear weapons prior to the 1994 accord and could produce half a dozen more within months from reprocessed spent fuel.

China, which with Russia has urged the United States to address the hermit state's security concerns, said the fact both countries were taking part in talks was a positive step.

"The six-party talks indicate a big step toward the resolution of the Korean nuclear issue," China's chief delegate Wang Yi said in his opening speech, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Russia's delegate, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, made the same point, saying "the step on that road which we are taking today will bring us to that objective."

Despite little hopes of a thaw Japanese officials said all delegates had showed a "willingness to cooperate actively to produce a result".

Tokyo has its own agenda and put the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents on the table at the earliest opportunity.

"He (Japan's chief delegate Mitoji Yabunaka) appealed for the need to resolve the nuclear issue, the missile issue and the abduction issue," a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

As the talks began and at the prompting of China's Wang, smiling envoys from each country clasped hands for a symbolic photograph.

Kelly stood next to North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Yong-Il and at one point looked directly at him, smiling before bowing slightly to the other representatives.

China, the North's closest ally and aid provider, has been instrumental in arranging the talks and has urged all sides to be "calm and patient" in their approach and not to push their positions too hard.

"We welcome you all. This consultation will be an extension of the three-party talks which were held in April - an important meeting," said Wang.

China, North Korea and the United States engaged in the previous round of talks which broke down without real progress.

Tokyo and Seoul are expected to emphasize a peaceful settlement of the standoff and give details of economic assistance to North Korea which has suffered years of famine that left hundreds of thousands dead.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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