China appears to be striving to revive momentum for the resumption of the multilateral talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea, while its impoverished ally, hit by severe droughts, is in dire need of outside aid.

The U.S. still remains uncertain of Pyongyang’s sincerity about its denuclearization, and stresses “no rewards” for bad behavior while leaving open the possibility of talks.

“China, as the host of the denuclearization dialogue, has been raising its voice (for the resumption of the talks),” Yonhap News quoted a Beijing source as saying.

“To the U.S. as well as North Korea, it is putting forward its logic that in order not to lose momentum for the resolution to the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, the six-party talks should resume at an early date.”

The mood for the six-way talks that involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia was broken after Pyongyang broke a Feb. 29 breakthrough deal with Washington in April by launching a long-range rocket.

Under the so-called Leap Day deal, the North agreed to temporarily put a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, and suspend uranium enrichment at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for 240,000 tons of “nutritional assistance.”

In a media interview held ahead of the 12th Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Chinese President Hu Jintao stressed the importance of dialogue to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issues.

“Dialogue and negotiations are the only and accurate choices to resolve the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula. Through the six-party talks, we should secure peninsular denuclearization and stability in the region,” he said.

Beijing reportedly seeks to persuade both Washington and Pyongyang to make good on the Feb. 29 deal, which was signed as a pre-step for the resumption of the talks that have been stalled since December 2008.

The North has apparently signaled its wish for dialogue.

“The U.S. should grab an opportunity for a turnaround (in the deadlocked nuclear negotiations) and North Korea wants continuing dialogue,” the Joseon Sinbo, a magazine published by a pro-North Korea group in Japan, said in an article on Tuesday.

For Pyongyang, the resumption of the aid-for-denuclearization talks is crucial to ease its isolation and gain diplomatic and economic assistance from the international community.

Its state media have reported that North Korea is suffering from the worst drought since 1962, apparently calling for international aid. Outside assistance to feed starving North Koreans is also important for the new leadership to consolidate power, experts said.

The Obama administration may be cautious about the resumption of the talks as it prepares for a reelection later this year amid continuing accusations from Republicans that his approach to the North was not effective.

Jim Zumwalt, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, stressed Wednesday that the U.S. is not interested in “talks for the sake of talks.”

“The United States is prepared to engage constructively with North Korea, but its new leadership must understand that there will be no rewards for provocations,” he said at a congressional hearing.

He also said that the U.S. remains “determined and prepared” to resume a dialogue if the nation changes its attitude while stressing Washington’s “deep” concerns for the human rights conditions in the repressive state.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)