The U.S. and North Korea met at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing today for the first talks between the two countries since the passing of former North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Il in December.

This is the first meeting since July of last year. That meeting had worked toward the dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal in exchange for food. Completion of the deal, which the United States said was near a successful end, came to an abrupt close with the passing of the former leader.

The U.S. State Department spokesman, Mark Toner says they are “cautiously optimistic” about the talks taking place currently. The U.S. would like to re-open the six party negotiation over North Korean disarmament that North Korean walked away from in 2009. After those talks were abandoned by North Korea, that country took a tougher stance and demonstrated their nuclear standing globally by detonating a second nuclear device in a show of defiance. North Korea became the world’s eighth nuclear power in 2006 after the first nuclear detonation.

China, North Korea’s biggest ally, who hosted the talks, had met with Kim Jong Il before his death as that leader worked with the Chinese leaders to recognise Jong Il’s successor, his son, Kim Jong-Un. It is reported that a deal had been struck on the condition that a third nuclear detonation did not take place. China has given North Korea financial support and boosted trade in the recent past in an effort to shore up the country. This because of the concerns that North Korea would collapse sparking off an exodus from that country to China. China has also urged North Korea to come back to the six party nuclear disarmament talks.

While the United States would like to see North Korea shirk off its authoritarian regime and work to become a democratic state, China differs on that. China is worried that if that were to happen, there would be a eventual re-uniting of the North and South. This would mean a risk of another U.S. ally right at China’s doorstep.

The talks in Beijing are expected to continue through tommorrow.