Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met his South Korean counterpart Ban Ki-Moon for a one-hour bilateral meeting, part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at reviving the multilateral talks.

"We think six-party talks are more important," Li told reporters when asked about whether five-way negotiations would proceed if China's close ally North Korea refuses to join.

"I hope it (North Korea) will participate ... this will be good for all sides. I hope all sides will create conditions as soon as possible for returning to the negotiating tables."

China and South Korea are the two most active players pushing to hold the six-way talks on the North's nuclear ambitions at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, where the issue promises to dominate the agenda.

"Even if North Korea launched missiles to create tensions and difficult situations, South Korea and China have closely cooperated to maintain the situation properly," Ban told Li at the meeting.

China has tentatively scheduled the proposed informal talks between the six countries' foreign ministers here Friday afternoon. China, Japan, the two Koreas, the United States and Russia are the parties involved in the talks.

Officials said there was also likely to be a two-way meeting between China and North Korea on Friday.

But plans have yet to be finalized with North Korea giving no guarantee of participating in the proposed six-way meeting.

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-Sun is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

"I'm not optimistic about the prospect of having five-way ministerial talks," Ban said after a one-hour bilateral meeting with Li.

"I understand the Chinese government has reluctance to do so because it could be seen isolating and presurring North Korea. We respect the Chinese government's position."

Ban said South Korea preferred the full six-nation talks, but said North Korea's boycotting of the talks should not block a multilateral meeting.

"The most desirable process is to have a six-party ministerial meeting, if not ministerial then at the level of chief negotiators," Ban said.

"If it is difficult to have five-party talks, we can have seven- or eight-way talks involving interested countries. I understand China has no discord about this idea."

North Korea has boycotted the three-year-old nuclear disarmament talks since November in protest at US financial sanctions.

Tensions rose after Pyongyang's July 5 test-firing of seven ballistic missiles in defiance of international appeals. UN condemnation and sanctions followed.

On its own diplomatic front, Ban said he was also pushing for a separate bilateral meeting with his North Korean counterpart Baek on the sidelines of the regional forum.

The embassies of the two Koreas were working on the inter-Korean foreign ministerial meeting, which he said has to be fixed in the next few days.

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