BEIJING, October 10 (RIA Novosti) - China urged South Korea and Japan at a summit on Saturday to enhance efforts to resume six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear problem.

The leaders of China, South Korea and Japan gathered in Beijing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and regional cooperation issues.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said there is "a chance to resume six-party talks... and if this chance is missed, considerably larger efforts will have to be made."

Russia said recently that direct contacts between North Korea and the United States could provide a breakthrough in multilateral negotiations on ending the North's nuclear program.

North Korea recently invited Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special envoy to Pyongyang, to visit. Washington has yet to officially accept the invitation, but has said bilateral contacts would be an important step towards resuming the six-nation talks.

North Korea abandoned the negotiations in April, in protest against the United Nations' condemnation of its nuclear bomb and missile tests. The six-party talks have involved the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Russia and Japan.

Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il expressed a "readiness to hold multilateral talks, depending on the outcome of the negotiations between the DPRK [the North's official name] and the United States."

The first three-party summit involving China, South Korea and Japan was held in Japan last year.