Foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters that, on China's suggestion, the envoys met on Wednesday. The meeting had not been previously reported.

"The three sides had positive appraisals of this contact. They felt this type of contact was beneficial," Kong said.

He confirmed the officials at the talks were Christopher Hill from the United States, North Korea's Kim Kye-Gwan and China's Wu Dawei, each nation's representative to the six-party talks.

Kong would not give details of what was discussed, or when the next round of the six-party talks might be held, only reiterating that the meeting was useful.

He also declined to say whether the issue of US economic sanctions against North Korea was discussed at the meeting.

Pyongyang has insisted it will boycott the talks, aimed at dismantling its nuclear program, unless the United States lifts the economic sanctions.

Hill arrived in Beijing for a one day-visit on Wednesday just hours after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il left the Chinese capital after a secretive eight-day trip.

The visits by Hill and Kim had raised speculation of possible progress in the long-running six-party talks.

Hopes were further raised after the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim and Chinese President Hu Jintao had discussed the talks and agreed to push for "a negotiated peaceful solution to the issue."

Hill was also in Beijing just last week for talks with Wu.

The six-party talks, which involve the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia, began in 2003 and are currently stalled over Pyongyang's demand that the US sanctions be lifted.

The last round of talks was in November.

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