North Korean leader Kim Jong-il held summit talks on Monday with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

During the meeting held in Beijing's Zhongnanhai leadership compound, the two leaders agreed on working for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and on holding another round of six-party talks before the end of the year.

The Seoul-based Munhwa Ilbo daily, quoting diplomatic sources in Beijing, said the Chinese leader pledged full support for Pyongyang's reforms and open-door policy as well as energy supplies to the impoverished North.

The reports said the two leaders also agreed to mend bilateral relations which were strained following China's arrest of Yang Bin, the Dutch-Chinese tycoon chosen by Pyongyang to run the Shinuiju special economic zone near the North's border with China. Yang was arrested on charges of fraud and bribery.

Reports in Seoul said earlier that a special train carrying the North Korean leader and a 40-member entourage departed from Pyongyang Sunday and arrived in the Chinese capital on Monday morning.

The four-day visit is the reclusive North Korean leader's third trip to China since January 2001. During that trip, he visited Shanghai's stock exchange and foreign joint-venture companies to inspect changes in China brought about by capitalist-style economic reforms.