Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon is meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing in Beijing.

North Korea's nuclear issue is expected to top their discussions.

The meeting is drawing much attention as it closely follows Li's visit to Pyongyang last week, during which he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and discussed the North's nuclear issue.

Upon his return from Pyongyang Thursday, Li told reporters that North Korea has a positive attitude to resolving the crisis over its nuclear ambitions and is willing to continue six-party talks.

Ban is also expected to ask China not to return to the North a group of North Koreans who are reportedly on a hunger strike at a detention camp in northeastern China demanding not to be repatriated to their homeland.

Ban, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday, is scheduled to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao before returning home on Tuesday.