The Voice of America says China's role in the North Korea nuclear talks was motivated by self-interest. The report said Beijing has a strong interest in preventing the stalemate over North Korea's nuclear program from escalating and destabilizing security inside China.

Last month, China hosted three-way talks on the nuclear issue and is increasingly acting as a diplomatic mediator between the United States and North Korea.

The report said China was not enthusiastic about taking a lead role in the North Korea nuclear issue when the crisis began last October, but the U.S. invasion of Iraq changed that. The report was quoting the director of Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Elizabeth Economy.

Ms. Economy said China is in a unique position to play a powerful role in the North Korea nuclear dispute. She said China's role is critical because it signals to the North Koreans primarily that the Chinese are taking seriously the threat that North Korea is posing to the entire Northeast Asian region with its alleged development of nuclear weapons.