"We expect that we will have an informal meeting with the South Koreans and the Japanese in Washington in the near future to prepare for the six-party talks," the official said.

However, the official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the date of the meeting had not yet been settled on and depended largely on when the six-party talks would be held.

"Nothing is set yet, we're still working on the details," the official said.

The meeting would not be a formal gathering of the so-called "Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group" (TCOG), but rather a brain-storming session on a joint strategy to be pursued with the North Koreans, the official said.

The official spoke as Chinese and North Korean officials expressed hope that the upcoming six-party talks would pave the way for a peaceful solution to the crisis, according to Chinese state media.

China has served as the chief mediator in arranging the talks and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi is now in Pyongyang to set them up.

China, North Korea's closest ally, arranged the first round of three-way talks in April involving the United States, Chinese and North Korean officials.

Beijing was instrumental in convincing Pyongyang to accept the six-party formula that will include the United States, China, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Thursday that North Korea wants to hold the talks in the first week of September while China has proposed an August 21 or 25 start.

The United States hopes to hold them in August ahead of the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York in September, it said.

South Korean officials have said discussions at the Beijing meeting could be dominated by how and in what form the United States provides a security commitment to North Korea.

Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday reinforced US opposition to North Korea's demands for a non-aggression pact, but hinted that Congress could endorse a less formal guarantee if it emerged from nuclear-crisis talks.

WAR.WIRE