UN head discusses N Korea tests

Mr Hu (right) congratulated Mr Ban for his new appointment

UN Secretary General-elect Ban Ki-moon has had talks in China debating action over North Korea's nuclear tests.

Mr Ban, currently South Korea's foreign minister, met President Hu Jintao as well as China's special envoy to North Korea, Tang Jiaxuan.

The two sides "agreed on the need to put pressure on North Korea", a South Korean foreign ministry official was quoted as saying by news agency AP.

Mr Ban has pledged to play an active role in ending the North Korea crisis.

'Keep calm'

South Korean and Chinese officials pledged to continue efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully, according to South Korean TV station YTV.

According to the China Daily, Mr Tang said: "Related parties should keep calm and restrained in dealing with the issue to prevent the conflict from escalating.

"They should safeguard and promote the process of the six-party talks and guide the situation towards the peaceful settlement of the issue through dialogue and making the peninsula nuclear free."

Earlier, Mr Hu had praised Mr Ban's appointment, pointing out that it was "the first time in 35 years that an Asian has been elected to the post".

"I believe... you will be able to play a greater role in the maintenance of world peace and common development," he told the South Korean foreign minister.

Major challenge

Mr Ban thanked China - a permanent member of the UN Security Council - for its support of his candidacy to replace Kofi Annan as secretary general, a role he formally takes on in January.

"I will make my best efforts on the issue of reform of the UN and other issues concerning the UN," he said.

Mr Ban also met Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and reportedly praised ties between China and South Korea.

Mr Ban is expected to face tough challenges over North Korea

Earlier in the week, Mr Ban pledged his determination to resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula - and revealed plans to appoint a special UN envoy on North Korea.

The BBC's Dan Griffiths in Beijing says Mr Ban knows that he needs the co-operation of countries like China in the search for a solution.

Beijing is North Korea's closest ally and a key supplier of aid and trade to the secretive regime in Pyongyang.

So far, though, even China has had little success in persuading North Korea back to the negotiating table.

North Korea is already shaping up to be one of the major challenges for Mr Ban during his time at the United Nations, our correspondent says.