Hopes of restarting nuclear talks involving North Korea have been raised as China’s premier Wen Jiabao continues his visit.

Mr Wen met with the communist state’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-il upon his arrival on Sunday, highlighting the importance of the trip.

The Chinese premier then met his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong-il.

While there has been no concrete commitment to rejoin the multilateral denuclearisation talks, Pyongyang had claimed it is still open to dialogue.

North Korea withdrew from the talks in April before conducting a nuclear test in May, provoking international condemnation.

It is hoped the current Chinese trip will bring Pyongyang back into negotiations with Japan, Russia, South Korea, China and the United States.

The subject of international denuclearisation has become one of US president Barack Obama’s chief foreign policy objectives.

Along with the leaders of Britain and France, he led criticism of Iran at the G20 summit last month after the discovery of a uranium enrichment plant.

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