BEIJING - UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei has called for international talks on North Korea's nuclear program to restart immediately, as he prepared for meetings with senior Chinese officials.

UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, seen here, has called for international talks on North Korea's nuclear program to restart immediately, as he prepared for meetings with senior Chinese officials. [AFP]

Giving a lecture at Beijing's Tsinghua University, ElBaradei reiterated his belief that global diplomacy was the most effective way to solve the stand-offs over the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.

"The case of North Korea, if anything, underscores the importance of such cases for the international community... to engage in an immediate and sustained dialogue to address the situation and its underlying causes," he said.

ElBaradei also warned in a lecture in Japan on Sunday against the diplomatic isolation of North Korea and Iran, saying confrontation would only lead them to accelerate their nuclear programs.

His spokesman said that while in China ElBaradei would meet with senior officials from the Chinese foreign ministry to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue.

The spokesman said he may also meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao or Premier Wen Jiabao, although this had yet to be confirmed.

North Korea agreed on October 31 to return to six-nation negotiations on ending its nuclear program. But two days of talks in Beijing last week between US and North Korean negotiators failed to set a date for the new round.

ElBaradei arrived in Beijing from Japan on Monday afternoon and is due to depart on Thursday.