THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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BEIJING - A U.S. envoy held talks Thursday with Chinese officials about U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea for a nuclear test conducted in May but declined to comment on Pyongyang's latest missile launches.

China is Pyongyang's closest ally and largest source of fuel and food aid, and its co-operation in enforcing sanctions against its neighbour is seen as crucial to increasing pressure meant to push North Korea back to stalled nuclear disarmament talks.

"We just had very good conversations with our colleagues at the Foreign Ministry and other agencies. We are here in a process of co-operation and collaboration with our Chinese colleagues," said Philip Goldberg, a former ambassador who is in charge of co-ordinating the implementation of sanctions against the North.

Goldberg did not give details of his talks with the Chinese officials.

Already high tensions in the region were aggravated further Thursday when, according to South Korea's Defence Ministry, North Korea test-fired three short-range missiles.

"I saw the same press report. I don't have any details on it, and I would wait till we have more details before commenting," Goldberg said of the latest tests.

Two missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, a South Korean ministry official said on condition of anonymity citing department policy. The North also fired a third missile later from the east coast, but the exact site was not immediately known, the official said.

A new U.N. resolution seeks to stop North Korea's trading of banned weapons by requiring U.N. members to request inspections of ships suspected of carrying prohibited cargo.

A North Korean ship came under intense scrutiny for more than a week by the U.S. Navy as it was detected heading toward Myanmar with suspicious cargo aboard. On Sunday, the Kang Nam 1 then turned around and headed back north, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday. It was unclear what the ship's turnaround means, nor what prompted it.

The ship was the first vessel monitored under the U.N. sanctions.

Pyongyang has said that any interception of its ships would be considered a declaration of war.

China is sending its own envoy, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, on an extended trip to Russia, the United States, Japan and South Korea to talk about the Korean nuclear situation and how to restart the six-party disarmament talks. Wu left Beijing Thursday, the Foreign Ministry confirmed.

"The purpose of Wu Dawei's visit is to exchange views with relevant parties on the nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula and the situation in northeast Asia," said ministry spokesman Qin Gang at a regularly scheduled press conference.