"They could be formal talks, informal talks or even talks in some other form," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei was quoted as telling the Beijing News.

China is making full efforts to bring all parties, including the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia, back to the bargaining table, he said.

His announcement comes after North Korean number two Kim Yong-Nam said in Beijing last week that Pyongyang was willing to continue the talks that are aimed at convincing the Stalinist regime to scrap its nuclear weapons ambitions.

It also follows a stop-over in Beijing by US Secretary of State Colin Powell this week, in which the talks were a main focus.

Pyongyang's secretive leadership failed to turn up for a fourth round of six-nation talks scheduled for last month, even though it had previously signaled its willingness to attend.

It said the boycott was in protest at recently revealed South Korean nuclear experiments and Washington's "hostile policy".

Pyongyang has also appeared keen to wait for the outcome of the November 2 presidential elections in the United States, which could effect the direction of the nuclear talks.

The ongoing crisis began in October 2002 when US officials said North Korea had admitted in a bilateral meeting to pursuing a covert uranium-enrichment program.

North Korea, however, has since denied such a program, and has demanded food and energy aid and diplomatic concessions in return for refreezing an older, plutonium-based nuclear arms program, mothballed in 1994.

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