Powell pushes for N Korea talks

North Korea's nuclear programme is a key topic of Mr Powell' trip

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called for an urgent resolution to the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons plans.

Speaking in Japan on a four-day East Asian tour, Mr Powell said there was still time to end the impasse if North Korea rejoined talks.

North Korea is boycotting talks with its neighbours and the US on the issue.

Mr Powell is currently in China and is also due to visit South Korea for more talks on North Korea.

Under pressure

On Sunday, Mr Powell met the Japanese prime minister and foreign minister.

North Korea dominated the agenda, with Mr Powell saying there was "still time" to resolve issues over North Korea's nuclear programme.

"We are not out of time," Mr Powell said. "We are all pressing hard. There is a sense of urgency."

He said Washington still wanted to resolve nuclear disarmament issues with North Korea through six-party talks.

SIX PARTIES TO KOREA TALKS China Japan North Korea Russia South Korea United States

He denied the United States had any hostile intent towards the country, and said North Korea would receive no "rewards" until it rejoined the talks.

There have been three rounds of six-party talks, aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons programme, but North Korea refused to attend a fourth in September.

The communist state sees no point in talking before the US presidential election on 2 November, says the BBC's Charles Scanlon in Seoul.

Experts believe it has already extracted enough plutonium for six or seven atomic bombs, although this is difficult to verify as North Korea will not submit to inspections from the UN's nuclear agency.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Japan would use bilateral meetings next month to urge North Korea to return to the negotiating table.

Although North Korea is set to dominate discussion for the rest of Mr Powell's trip, he will also discuss tensions with Taiwan when he meets Chinese officials.

China has been angry about US arms sales and about Washington's positive response to a recent call by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian for talks with Beijing.

Mr Powell's final stop will be Seoul, where state department officials said he will be discussing US plans to reduce troops in military bases in South Korea.