A high-level official from the United States is consulting with the Chinese government on the next steps to bring the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) back to the Six-Party Talks.

Kurt Campbell, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told reporters yesterday in Beijing that he has already compared notes with high-level Chinese officials on Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Pyongyang earlier this month. China has been for months trying to re-engage DPRK officials to resume denuclearization discussions.

The news of cooperation between China and the US comes a day after reports said that the DPRK was preparing to again test-fire missiles following the launch of five short-range rockets on Monday.

Chinese experts on the DPRK said Monday's launching was possibly intended to boost the country's bargaining position before expected direct talks with the US.

Diplomacy with the DPRK "is very challenging and sometimes it's difficult to know exactly what's going to transpire in terms of your interactions with Pyongyang", Campbell said yesterday.

"I am here to learn from China about the next steps to make the DPRK come back to the nuclear disarmament talks framework," he said, adding that Washington has also had discussions with DPRK neighbors Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

He said that Chinese officials told him that the DPRK is prepared to revisit the Six-Party Talks, which was broken off in April of this year when the DPRK said it would resume its nuclear program. The Six-Party Talks involved China, the ROK, the US, Russia, Japan and the DPRK.

DPRK leader Kim Jong-il told Wen in Pyongyang earlier this month that his government might return to the stalled six-nation negotiations depending on the outcome of direct talks with the US.

"But again, we will have to test that, explore that and see if that is indeed the case," Campbell said.

Campbell said the US will not consider direct negotiations with the DPRK without its six-party commitment.

"It is essential to resume the six-party disarmament talks and any bilateral talks could only take place within the framework of the multilateral talks," Campbell said.

He said there is an unprecedented acceptance of basic goals and ambitions for the Six-Party Talks and negotiations with the DPRK among the five parties apart from the DPRK.

"We are now reviewing steps in the near future," he said.

Campbell was in Beijing from Monday to yesterday to exchange views with Chinese officials from ministries including foreign affairs, national defense and commerce, on regional and international issues, with the DPRK issue topping his agenda.