The White House on Monday praised China's role in hosting the six-party talks aimed at ending the nuclear standoff between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

"China has been very involved in these efforts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said at a news briefing.

"China has stepped forward now to say, we want a nuclear weapons-free peninsula. And they have been actively engaged in those talks," McClellan said.

McClellan said that the United States is continuing to work through the six-party talks and make progress "to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambition."

The United States has said that it is still looking at China as both the host and the chairman of the next working group and plenary of the six-party talks.

"We are still looking at Beijing. I know there have been some reports about other places, but we are still looking at Beijing as both the host and chairman of the next working group and plenary," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a press conference in August.

China has hosted three rounds of the six-party talks and the next round of such talks is expected to be held before the end of this month.