The North has said it was enriching both uranium and plutonium
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has met the visiting envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, official media from the two countries have reported.
China has been pressing North Korea to return to international talks aimed at the nuclear disarmament of the North.
It pulled out of multilateral talks after international condemnation of a long-range missile launch in April.
The US has said it is prepared to talk directly with North Korea in order to resume the stalled negotiations.
The Chinese envoy, Dai Bingguo, delivered a letter to Mr Kim from Hu Jintao, North Korean state radio said.
China's Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to visit North Korea in October, in what would be the highest-level visit to the North since it held its second nuclear test in May.
NUCLEAR CRISIS
Oct 2006 - North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test
Feb 2007 - North Korea agrees to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel aid
June 2007 - North Korea shuts its main Yongbyon reactor
June 2008 - North Korea makes its long-awaited declaration of nuclear assets
Oct 2008 - The US removes North Korea from its list of countries which sponsor terrorism
Dec 2008 - Pyongyang slows work to dismantle its nuclear programme after a US decision to suspend energy aid
Jan 2009 - The North says it is scrapping all military and political deals with the South, accusing it of "hostile intent"
April 2009 - Pyongyang launches a rocket carrying what it says is a communications satellite
25 May 2009 - North Korea conducts a second nuclear test
N Korea's uranium admission
Q&A: North Korea nuclear test
That test provoked a new round of sanctions against North Korea.
On Wednesday, Mr Dai met North Korea's lead man on nuclear negotiations, Kang Sok-ju, accompanied by Beijing's chief envoy to the six-party talks that also include South Korea, Japan and Russia.
The US said last week that it was prepared to hold direct talks with North Korea to persuade it to return to the stalled six-party talks.
No date for such talks has been announced.
The US has previously said it would not tolerate a nuclear North Korea.
In September 2005, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for aid in a deal decided between the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US, beginning the six-party process.
But since then, the talks have stalled over the failure of Pyongyang to verify the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear plant.
In May this year, the North said it had staged a second "successful" underground nuclear test, saying it was more powerful than a test carried out in October 2006.
The North says that it remains under military threat from its historic rival, South Korea, and South Korea's allies, primarily the US.
North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least six nuclear bombs. Earlier in September, the North said it had entered the final phase of uranium enrichment, which would give it a second way to make a nuclear bomb.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has met the visiting envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, official media from the two countries have reported.
China has been pressing North Korea to return to international talks aimed at the nuclear disarmament of the North.
It pulled out of multilateral talks after international condemnation of a long-range missile launch in April.
The US has said it is prepared to talk directly with North Korea in order to resume the stalled negotiations.
The Chinese envoy, Dai Bingguo, delivered a letter to Mr Kim from Hu Jintao, North Korean state radio said.
China's Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to visit North Korea in October, in what would be the highest-level visit to the North since it held its second nuclear test in May.
NUCLEAR CRISIS
Oct 2006 - North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test
Feb 2007 - North Korea agrees to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel aid
June 2007 - North Korea shuts its main Yongbyon reactor
June 2008 - North Korea makes its long-awaited declaration of nuclear assets
Oct 2008 - The US removes North Korea from its list of countries which sponsor terrorism
Dec 2008 - Pyongyang slows work to dismantle its nuclear programme after a US decision to suspend energy aid
Jan 2009 - The North says it is scrapping all military and political deals with the South, accusing it of "hostile intent"
April 2009 - Pyongyang launches a rocket carrying what it says is a communications satellite
25 May 2009 - North Korea conducts a second nuclear test
N Korea's uranium admission
Q&A: North Korea nuclear test
That test provoked a new round of sanctions against North Korea.
On Wednesday, Mr Dai met North Korea's lead man on nuclear negotiations, Kang Sok-ju, accompanied by Beijing's chief envoy to the six-party talks that also include South Korea, Japan and Russia.
The US said last week that it was prepared to hold direct talks with North Korea to persuade it to return to the stalled six-party talks.
No date for such talks has been announced.
The US has previously said it would not tolerate a nuclear North Korea.
In September 2005, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for aid in a deal decided between the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US, beginning the six-party process.
But since then, the talks have stalled over the failure of Pyongyang to verify the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear plant.
In May this year, the North said it had staged a second "successful" underground nuclear test, saying it was more powerful than a test carried out in October 2006.
The North says that it remains under military threat from its historic rival, South Korea, and South Korea's allies, primarily the US.
North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least six nuclear bombs. Earlier in September, the North said it had entered the final phase of uranium enrichment, which would give it a second way to make a nuclear bomb.
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