Japan’s Asahi Shimbun said North Korea had shown some openness to preemptive measures including stopping its uranium enrichment program during the recent talks with the United States in Beijing.

The newspaper quoted a diplomatic source as saying that Pyongyang had made some progress in curtailing its nuclear activities during the talks in China and that the United States had expressed willingness to increase food aid to the impoverished North.

Asahi Shimbun said North Korea had shown willingness to halt uranium enrichment in the state during negotiations with the U.S. early last December, but a more forward suggestion was made during the most recent talks this month.

South Korea, the United States and Japan have demanded five preemptive steps be taken by North Korea including the abandonment of its uranium enrichment program, the return of monitoring agents from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the North upholding the agreement to halt its nuclear program in order to restart the six party talks.