Though North Korea has not yet agreed, US officials are optimistic the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programs will be convened in January or February next year, a senior US administration official said Thursday.

The official, in an interview with the Los Angles Times, sidestepped reports that Chinese officials, who are trying to persuade N. Korea to come back to the bargaining table, are dismayed by the latest US revisions to a negotiating document aimed at laying the framework for the coming round of crucial talks.

Sources close to the negotiation said Beijing had hoped to present the N. Koreans with a general statement of intentions, whereas the Bush Administration had inserted specific language repeating its longstanding demand that N. Korea agreed to verification of any disarmament deal, which Beijing fears Pyongyang will reject.

Chinese and US officials have said since the first round of Beijing talks in August that they expected a second round to be convened soon.

Washington is depending on Beijing as the primary mediator between itself and N. Korea, and the US official was quick to dispel rumours of any discord between the US and Chinese positions.

``The Chinese have been doing a lot of good and hard work in trying to get the thing going, but I think at times they are conflicted in their various roles as participants and communicators with the DPRK," the official said.

The official said there were no "serious differences" between the US and China, but that the US had had "tens, maybe even hundreds of hours of discussions with the Chinese to figure out how to put this in such a way that's most likely to be successful."

The two key issues that have emerged as stumbling blocks of negotiations are the sequencing of concessions: US security guarantees to N. Korea; and Pyongyang's willingness to submit to verification.

While expressing optimism that the long-delayed talks would take place, the US has been careful not to predict that a deal could be struck with N. Korea, and continues to say that it is keeping all of its options open.

"Whether the talks will succeed or not is really in the future to be decided?" the official said. "It's a challenge. It's not certain that we'll succeed but it is certain that we'll keep trying."

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