A top U.S. diplomat says North Korea appears to have accepted calls to return to the stalled six-way nuclear talks.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell made the remark to reporters in Tokyo on Friday after China’s state-run Xinhua News quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as saying that his country is ready to engage in multilateral talks.

Campbell said it sounds like Pyongyang is underscoring that it will accept conditions requested by Beijing on continuing the six-way dialogue framework and reaffirming the North’s intent toward denuclearization.

Campbell also stressed that the U.S. has no intention of conducting bilateral negotiations with North Korea absent a six-party framework, saying that if Washington has any initial bilateral interaction with the North, it will be as a means to resume the six-party talks.

Meanwhile, U.S. media, including the Associated Press, said the reclusive North Korean leader has hinted that Pyongyang is ready to come back to the six-way nuclear talks.

The State Department is reserving comments on Kim’s latest comment, saying it has yet to confirm related reports.