In Washington, a former U.S. official on North Korean affairs says Kim Jong-il may have tried to persuade Chinese President Hu Jintao to understand Pyongyang's position on the nuclear arms standoff.

Former U.S. special envoy to North Korea Jack Pritchard said that during his visit to China this week, Kim most likely tried to convince Hu that North Korea is taking a realistic approach in order to resolve the standoff, but that Washington's hardline stance is hampering a possible resolution.

Pritchard said there could be some progress in the nuclear impasse depending on the outcome of this week's secretive summit meeting between North Korea and China. But he was quick to add that significant progress such as the North's renunciation of its nuclear weapons program is unlikely to happen as a result of those talks.