The United States said on Wednesday that it was still looking at China as both the host and the chairman of the next working group and plenary of the six-party talks trying to end the nuclear standoff between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

"We are still looking at Beijing. I know there have been some reports about other places, but we are still looking at Beijing as both the host and chairman of the next working group and plenary," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a press conference.

Ereli said there had been a number of consultations between China and other members of the six-party process and "those consultations continue."

"The Chinese are still working to convene both a working group and a plenary of the six-party talks. It was agreed at the last round to convene the next round before the end of September and a working group meeting before that. That is still the timeline we are working towards," Ereli said.

The United States on Monday downplayed suggestion from the DPRK that it might not attend the upcoming round of six-party working-level talks.

"The last round of six-party talks, everyone agreed in principle that we would hold a plenary before the end of September, and we would hold working group meetings presumably some time before then," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

"We have not heard anything from the North Koreans at this point that would change our assumption about holding those talks. And at this point, we are working with the Chinese, with the other parties, and I think we will be moving forward on this shortly," Casey said.

It is reported that the DPRK government said on Monday it would not attend working-level meetings ahead of the six-party talks and blasted the United States for demands that the DPRK fully discloses its nuclear activities.

China has hosted three rounds of the six-party talks to try to resolve the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2004)