China’s envoy to North Korea to attend US crisis talks

China will be represented at talks in Washington on the ­crisis on the Korean peninsula by its special envoy to Pyongyang, Wu Dawei.

A spokesman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said the talks would focus on maintaining peace and stability, but would also consider denuclearisation of the region.

Mr Wu will visit at the invitation of America’s special representative on North Korea, Glyn Davies. After weeks of threats of all-out war by North Korea, Pyongyang said on Thursday it would return to negotiations subject to certain preconditions, including the lifting United ­Nations’ sanctions.

The United States said it was seeking “clear signals” that the North would halt its nuclear weapons activities, which culminated in a second nuclear test earlier this year and a series of rocket tests which Kim Jong-un’s regime would be capable of ­delivering a nuclear payload.