A leading U.S. daily says the U.N. Security Council's statement on the Cheonan sinking is considered a compromise between China and the West to bring North Korea back to the six-way nuclear talks.

The Wall Street Journal said in a Sunday analysis that North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. hinted at returning to the six-party talks without precondition right after the statement's release. China's Foreign Ministry also urged swift resumption of the talks around the same time.

The daily says U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will leave late next week for an Asia trip that includes stops in South Korea and Vietnam, adding North Korea is expected to be a major topic of discussion.

But even if the talks resume, the Journal says the six-way talks will likely to see stalling and delays as in previous rounds.