Blair appeared composed despite troubles at home

China has an important role to play in persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday.

"Pressure from China is particularly important," he remarked after a day of talks in Beijing with the country's new leaders.

His stance was later backed by comments from US President George W Bush.

The UK prime minister, who was given full military honours in Tiananmen Square, also welcomed what he said was greater progress towards democracy in the former UK colony of Hong Kong.

His tour of the Far East has been overshadowed by a political crisis at home after the apparent suicide of Iraq weapons expert David Kelly.

I do believe we can solve this issue diplomatically by encouraging the neighbourhood - the Chinese, the South Koreans and the Japanese - to join us with a single voice George W Bush

But after taking questions about the issue at a news conference, he redirected the focus to North Korea.

Mr Blair is due to travel on to Hong Kong on Tuesday after a stop in Shanghai.

His Chinese visit is the fourth leg in a week-long tour which began in America on Thursday before moving on to Japan and South Korea.

Bush line

Mr Blair said it was neither acceptable for North Korea to continue its nuclear weapons programme nor for it to "carry on proliferating and exporting nuclear weapons technology to other highly unstable states".

He said he believed the North Korean nuclear weapons programme could be halted by diplomatic means.

Recent talks between China, North Korea and the United States could reconvene within the next few weeks and should be extended to include South Korea and Japan, Mr Blair added.

Speaking at his ranch in Texas, President Bush said: "I do believe we can solve this issue diplomatically by encouraging the neighbourhood - the Chinese, the South Koreans and the Japanese - to join us with a single voice that says to Mr Kim Jong Il, 'A decision to develop a nuclear arsenal is one that will alienate you from the rest of the world'."

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent, Barnaby Mason, says the Bush administration has adopted this line partly because military action against North Korea, as opposed to Iraq, is impractical.

Mr Blair noted growing pressure on Pyongyang from within the region and singled out China's role.

"What's interesting is the degree to which the Chinese leadership here now are very much trying to assist in resolving some of these most difficult questions, he said.

Democracy moves

A 19-gun salute and a military guard of honour from the People's Liberation Army marked Mr Blair's first visit to China in five years.

He held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao, President Hu Jintao and retired leader Jiang Zemin.

"Since you became the prime minister, China-UK relations have achieved much progress," said Mr Wen when they met at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

Ahead of his visit to Hong Kong - where half a million people recently rallied against a bill seen as affecting civil liberties - Mr Blair said he welcomed recent political moves there.

"There are proposals to move toward greater democracy in Hong Kong," he said, apparently choosing his words carefully.

"Obviously we support that. I hope very much we can get that process of change back on track."

Mr Wen assured his UK counterpart that China had been strictly adhering to the "one country, two systems" formula agreed when Britain withdrew in 1997.