Christopher Hill, the US envoy to South Korea, will leave for the Chinese capital on Thursday "to begin his new role as head of our delegation to the six-party talks," designed to end North Korea's nuclear weapons drive, a US official said.

Hill, who is US envoy to South Korea, will be in Beijing for "a couple of days" for the largely familiarization trip, the official added.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week appointed Hill to serve concurrently as the head of the US delegation to the six-party talks, of which the United States is the chief sponsor.

As South Korea's chief delegate to the six-party talks will also be in Beijing this week, there is a possibility that officials from the three countries could hold consultations.

China is host to the six party talks, which also include the two Koreas, Russia, the United States and Japan.

North Korea had attended three rounds of talks adjourned in June last year but decided to boycott the fourth round scheduled in September.

The Stalinist state startled the world with a public declaration last week that it possessed nuclear weapons and said it was indefinitely suspending participation in six-party talks, accusing the United States of seeking to topple the country's government.

China has been holding consultations with the other parties to the talks following the North Korean threat. It plans to send an emissary this weekend to Pyongyang.

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