A working-level meeting of the six-party talks that aims to resolve an ongong standoff over North Korea's nuclear program, will take place in the beginning of next month at the earliest, a Chinese diplomat was quoted as saying by Japanese media.

The media quoted Ambassador Ning Fukui, China's special envoy on Korean Peninsula affairs, as making the remarks when he met with Japan's top foreign ministry official, Akitaka Saiki.

Ning said North Korea does not agree to holding the talks this month.

The six-party nations, comprising the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, agreed at their last meeting in June to meet again by the end of September.

Member nations had hoped to hold working-level talks ahead of this main meeting.