North Korea's disabling of its key nuclear complex is proceeding "smoothly," Chinese state media on Wednesday quoted a visiting deputy foreign minister as saying.
North Korea pledged at six-party talks to disable its main nuclear complex at Yongbyon and declare all of its nuclear activities in exchange for economic and diplomatic incentives.
"Denuclearization work is proceeding smoothly in accordance with steps agreed by the six parties," the official People's Daily quoted Wu Dawei as saying. "North Korean and U.S. engineers and technicians are working hard at this."
All sides should "seriously fulfill their obligations," added Wu, who is also China's point man on denuclearization talks with North Korea.
Poor and diplomatically isolated, North Korea tested a nuclear device last year in defiance of international warnings.
But months later it agreed at talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia to shut down Yongbyon and admit U.N. atomic inspectors.
In exchange, the North will receive aid, most of it in the form of heavy fuel oil needed to run its ageing factories, and improved diplomatic relations.
Before the end of the year the North is also meant to give a complete accounting of its nuclear arms program, which will involve answering U.S. allegations about a secret program to enrich uranium for weapons.
U.S. State Department official Sung Kim, who has been leading the U.S. team surveying North Korea's nuclear activities, is expected to arrive in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
"He will be reviewing the progress on disablement and will be meeting with officials there in order to continue to move the six-party process forward," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said on Tuesday.
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