Wang was at the State Department for the second straight day, following his talks with the Bush administration's North Korea pointman, Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly on Thursday.

"We had very good discussions," Wang said as he left the building.

"Preparations for a new round of six party talks in Beijing have started," Wang said through a translator, but refused to answer further questions.

The United States and other parties are still hoping that another round of talks, to follow inconclusive discussions in Beijing in August, could take place before the end of the year.

The talks, which Washington sees as the only way out of the crisis which erupted a year ago, also include Russia, South Korea, Japan and North Korea.

North Korea agreed in principle last week to attend a new round of talks.

Wang's shuttle has included a recent trip to Pyongyang with parliamentary chief Wu Bangguo.

In the next step of its initiative, China is sending vice foreign minister Dai Bingguo to South Korea to exchange views on the issue November 9-12 and to Tokyo November 12-16.

The United States and Russia are also expected to consult in Washington in coming weeks.

Both China and the United States have downplayed the idea that Beijing's envoys are acting as go-betweens between Washington and Pyongyang.

But on Wednesday, Powell appeared to suggest that part of Beijing's role at least was to act as an informal messenger to the Stalinist state.

Powell recalled how he met former Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan in March and "reinforced President (George W.) Bush's message that China needed to rise to its responsibilities in dealing with this regional problem."

"The very next day the vice premier (Qian Qichen), who is here with us today, flew to North Korea and delivered that message, that there would be no alternative to multilateral talks in which all countries of the region would be fully involved.

He then noted how Bush outlined his views on the crisis to Chinese President Hu Jintao in Bangkok last month.

"Following that meeting, National People's Congress Chairman Mr. Wu (Bangguo) went to Pyongyang and discussed it with the North Koreans," said Powell during a speech in Texas.

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