U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have agreed that U.S.-North Korea talks should be conducted as part of the larger six-nation nuclear dialogue.

In a briefing following the U.S.-China summit, a top White House official quoted the Chinese leader as saying that U.S.-North Korea bilateral talks can contribute to the six-way process and denuclearization.

The official said Washington and Beijing both agreed on this point.

Obama stressed the importance of U.S.-China cooperation for the implementation of sanctions on North Korea because a strain on their joint front may provide the North with an opportunity to misbehave.


Obama also said the six-way framework should continue and urged Pyongyang to respect the 2005 denuclearization agreement.