"We have always maintained that we are in favour of a nuclear-free peninsula and urge all parties to work to that end and make constructive efforts," spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular briefing.

"China does not have information about North Korea's weapon development. All we can say is that we have a firm position on the nuclear-weapons-free Korean peninsula goal and have made vigourous efforts in that regard."

North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan earlier told the US network ABC in an interview that Pyongyang has "enough nuclear bombs to defend against a US attack".

Liu said China was continuing to work to restart stalled talks on North Korea's atomic weapons programme.

"This is a complex question requiring complicated measures," he said.

"We believe that it will be a long process and a difficult one ... During this process, there will inevitably be twists and turns."

Beijing's ambassador to the United Nations, Wang Guangya, indicated earlier this week that North Korea had decided to attend a new round of talks soon, possibly within "the next few weeks".

But Liu would not be that specific, only saying China hopes to restart the talks -- hosted by China and also involving the United States, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia -- "at an early date".

"However complicated and difficult the question might be, as long as we demonstrate goodwill and are pragmatic, flexible and sincere, the problem will be gradually resolved in the future and the six-party process will gradually, although slowly, sometimes, move forward," he said.

China has had contacts and consultations with North Korea, "which is very clear about the Chinese position," he added.

The third and so far last round of six-party talks was held in Beijing in June last year.

A scheduled fourth round last September failed to materialize because North Korea refused to participate.

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