Bilateral trade, excluding China's humanitarian food and oil aid to North Korea, rose 35 percent year-on-year to 1.39 billion dollars in 2004, the Korea Trade investment Promotion Agency said in a report.

The volume accounted for 42 percent of the North's total trade of 3.3 billion dollars with other countries last year, said the report carried by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

China's investment in North Korea rose to 50 million dollars in 2004, accounting for 85 percent of Pyongyang's total foreign investment of 59 million dollars, it said.

The trade figures, which highlight North Korea's economic dependence on its ally China, came as the United States called on Beijing to put greater pressure on Pyongyang to revive six-way talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear programme.

Beijing has rejected the US call.

The North has boycotted the China-hosted nuclear disarmament talks -- which also include the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia -- since a third round in June last year.

Pyongyang said it would not return to the talks unless Washington dropped a "hostile" policy against the communist regime.

The North in February declared it had built nuclear weapons, vowing to increase its nuclear arsenals.

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