North Korea's uranium enrichment programme should be discussed under long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks, China said Tuesday during a visit by South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan.

Kim, who is on his first visit to China since taking office in October, discussed the North Korean nuclear issue with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

"At present the international community is very concerned about the uranium enrichment in the DPRK (North Korea)," Jiang said.

"We believe this issue should be discussed and resolved under the framework of the six-party talks." These negotiations include the two Koreas, host China, the United States, Japan and Russia.

The North sparked regional security fears last November by disclosing an apparently functional uranium enrichment plant, which could provide it with a second way to make atomic bombs in addition to its plutonium stockpile.

South Korea wants the UN Security Council to address this uranium programme before any fresh six-party talks are held.

"We hope all parties concerned can meet each other halfway to create the conditions for the early resumption of the six-party talks," Jiang said.

The negotiations were last held in December 2008. The North then abandoned them in April 2009 and staged its second nuclear test a month later.

Earlier this month the North said it was willing to return to the six-party forum "without any precondition", and to discuss its uranium enrichment plant and the possible suspension of nuclear tests.

Foreign Minister Kim at the time rejected the offer.

"This is insufficient and does not fit the position of the other countries that the right conditions (for talks) should be created," he told reporters.

Kim is also slated to meet with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during his three-day visit which ends Wednesday.