North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has won a warm embrace from China on a visit this week that has brought an icy response from other regional powers.
Mr Kim's rare trip abroad, by train because of his terror of flying, came as the North slides deeper into economic trouble from UN sanctions for last year's nuclear test.
It also came amid rising diplomatic tension between Seoul and Beijing over North Korea's role in the sinking of a South Korean navy ship.
China's Xinhua news agency said Mr Kim, who arrived home today, was given a warm welcome by President Hu Jintao, making no reference to the ship, which officials in the South believe North Korea sank with a torpedo in late March.
It quoted the North Korean leader as repeating a commitment to end the nuclear arms programme that is seen as a major risk to economically powerfully North Asia and his willingness to discuss returning to international disarmament talks which he has boycotted for 1-½ years.
"The North Korea side stated that its stance in favour of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula has not changed," Xinhua said.
"The North Korean side is willing, together with all parties, to discuss creating favourable conditions for restarting the six-party talks." South Korea has expressed its displeasure that China had rolled out the red carpet so soon after the sinking of one of its warships near their disputed border.
President Lee Myung-bak said he believed his giant neighbour would come round once investigators reach a final conclusion, which is expected later this month.
"The Chinese government will understand and play a role," Mr Lee was quoted as telling ruling party officials.
But many analysts say China is so concerned about North Korea's stability that it is prepared to bankroll Mr Kim even if it does put it at odds with others in the region. "China is paying more attention to North Korea's stability, needing to avoid chaos on the Korean Peninsula," said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School, a prominent institute in Beijing. "If you neglect that problem, North Korea may suffer turmoil. China does not want the North Korean system to see that kind of trouble."
"It (China) is looking at short-term stability, not long-term," complained one senior South Korean official whose government has said it will push hard for the North to be punished if it turns out to have sunk the ship.
The issue is likely to dominate a series of talks this month between China, Japan and South Korea, first among foreign ministers and then their leaders.
Investigators have found traces of gunpowder and metal pieces from the sunken ship that are consistent with a torpedo, possibly a German made one picked by the North to avoid implicating itself, a senior South Korean official was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
A total of 46 sailors died when the ship sank on March 27th. Each of the dead an Order of Military Merit by the South Korean government. A further 60 sailors were rescued from the vessel.
South Korean officials have not officially accused the North but made little secret of their belief Pyongyang deliberately torpedoed the 1,200-tonne corvette Cheonan in March near their disputed border in retaliation of a naval firefight last year.
The metallic debris and chemical residue appear to be consistent with a type of torpedo made in Germany, indicating the North may have been trying to disguise its involvement by avoiding arms made by allies China and Russia, Yonhap quoted the official as saying.
Reuters