North Korea has, during talks with US officials in Beijing, admitted having nuclear weapons, CNN quoted sources as saying on Thursday.

The country said it would 'prove' it has the weapons soon, one source said.

A source said General Li Gun, North Korea's representative to the talks, asked US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly: "Now what are you going to do about it?"

Gen Li said Pyongyang would consider dismantling its nuclear weapons programme if the US signed a statement promising not to attack North Korea, according to a source.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the talks, scheduled to continue Friday, were 'coming to a close'.

"The North Koreans should not leave the meetings in Beijing... with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners will be intimidated by bellicose statements or by threats," Powell told the Asia-Pacific Council.

Powell said that bilateral talks might take place on Friday, however, between China and the US and China and North Korea.

China was a party to the two days of talks.

"Strong views were presented. The North Koreans presented their point of view strongly, the Chinese did as well, as did the United States," Powell said.

"The sides will return to their capitals and assess what they heard, analyse proposals that were put down by the parties and determine where we will go next," he added.

Powell said the US would continue to insist that talks take place in a multilateral setting and that the Korean peninsula be free of nuclear weapons.

With Inputs from Reuters