China's foreign ministry says the resumption of six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear programmes was discussed in Pyongyang this week.
North Korea dropped out of the talks last year.
South Korea says that, before any talks can resume, the North must apologise for torpedoing a South Korean warship in March.
The BBC reports that China's special envoy on nuclear affairs, Wu Dawei, has just visited the North Korean capital.
China's foreign ministry said he met senior North Korean officials, including foreign minister Pak Ui-chun and nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan.
China has hosted several rounds of the six-party talks - alongside the United States, Russia, the two Koreas and Japan - but a swift resumption of the talks remains uncertain.
North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests, one in October 2006 and one in May 2009.
