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China: Six-party talks a week awayChinese envoy says September 2 likely restart for Korea talks
 North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Kwan. RELATEDSPECIAL REPORTYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSPYONGYANG, North Korea -- Six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program could resume on September 2. China's top envoy to the forum, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, was quoted as saying this date was under consideration, Reuters reported. It's unknown whether the United States or North Korea has agreed to the date, according to Reuters. After meeting for 13 straight days, diplomats from North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States decided on August 7 to take a recess. The prospect of a resumption in talks comes after an apparent conciliatory gesture from North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator. Last week, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Kwan said Pyongyang may be willing to offer proof that it does not have a uranium-based weapons program, which the United States claims it does. One of the most contentious issues at the negotiations has been Washington's claim that North Korea has a secret uranium weapons program in addition to its declared plutonium one. In a rare interview with CNN in the North Korean capital, Kim repeated Pyongyang's denial that it has a uranium-based program. But in a hint to the United States that North Korea is willing to compromise, he said the issue was open to negotiation. "We don't have any uranium-based weapons program, but in the future if there is any kind of evidence that needs to be clarified we will be fully prepared to do so." he said. Kim also said North Korea wants to pursue a peaceful nuclear program and is willing to adopt "strict supervision" of its nuclear facilities. "As we resolve the nuclear issue we are willing to return to the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) and fully abide by IAEA (U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards. Pyongyang ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors out of the country in December 2002, and pulled out of the NPT the following month. "If someone is concerned with regard to our possible nuclear activities which could lead up to the manufacture of nuclear weapons out of the operations of a light-water nuclear reactor, then we can leave the operations under strict supervision," Kim said. "The U.S. itself can have direct participation or the U.S. can pick a nation that they trust." However, Kim said his country would not bend on the key issue that has stalled the talks -- it will not obey any directive to abandon all of its nuclear programs, including one for nuclear energy. "We would like to pursue peaceful nuclear energy power generation and this is a quite urgent issue that faces our nation," Kim said. "And this is a very appropriate policy in light of the economic situation of our country. That is why we cannot make a concession in this field." Kim said that Pyongyang was looking carefully at what appears to be the Bush administration's recent conciliatory tone and said he would bring a sincere and business-like attitude to the next round of talks. But he warned that any U.S. attempt to promote a change of regime in North Korea was destined to fail. CNN Correspondent Mike Chinoy contributed to this report 
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