Beijing, Feb 17, SPA -- China is sending a top communist partyofficial to North Korea this week, the government saidThursday, amid renewed efforts to get Beijing's longtimeally to resume stalled talks on its nuclear weaponsprogram. Top negotiators from the United States and South Koreawere in Beijing seeking China's help on persuading theisolated North to return to multination nuclear talks thatwere suspended in June. South Korean officials said they believed China, theNorth's biggest backer and a major source of aid to theimpoverished country, could do more to win over the North. "I think China has a much bigger card to play than weexpect. The question is whether it will play it, " SouthKorea's ambassador to China, Kim Ha-joong, said at a newsconference Thursday in Seoul. Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan confirmed that WangJiarui, head of the communist party's internationaldepartment, would visit Pyongyang this week. Kong, speaking at a regular news briefing, would notprovide dates. While working to resolve the standoff, "The Chinese siderequires that the DPRK side and United States show moreflexibility and sincerity," Kong said, using the acronymfor the North's formal name: the Democratic People'sRepublic of Korea. Christopher Hill, the new U.S. negotiator assigned togetting the North to abandon its nuclear program, arrivedThursday for a one-day visit. "This is my first visit to China and I don't think itwill be my last," Hill told Wu Dawei, a Chinese deputyforeign minister. Hill was due to meet with Wu's boss,Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, later in the day. Hill, who is also U.S. ambassador to South Korea, is justbeginning to make the rounds after being appointed head ofthe American delegation to the North Korea talks on Monday. South Korea's deputy foreign minister, Song Min-soon, alsotraveled to Beijing for talks with his Chinesecounterparts. "I came to China to reopen the six-nation talks as soonas possible and thus settle the nuclear issue smoothly,"Song said when asked about his expectations for his visit. Speaking in Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister BanKi-moon said Thursday China has told his government itplans to take "other initiatives" apart from sending Wangto Pyongyang.--SPA1253 Local Time 0953 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/240207