Washington, Sep 12: The United States and China are holding talks about what to do if the government in Pyongyang collapses after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il became physically impaired from a stroke apparently suffered last month, FOX News reports.

A senior Bush Administration official said that although Kim may not be close to death, the US does not accept reports from South Korea that he’s on his way to a rapid recovery.

The official told FOX News the United States is naturally engaging the Chinese about what to do if there is ensuing instability in North Korea. There is no logical successor to Kim. He has not been grooming one of his sons to replace him, as Kim’s father, Kim Il Sung, groomed him.

Seoul - North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il is ill and might have suffered a recent collapse but is still alive, according to assessments by South Korean government officials Wednesday.

"It is certain that Kim Jong Il is sick," an unnamed intelligence officer in the presidential office told the Yonhap News Agency. "Taking various recent circumstances into consideration, Kim may have collapsed from an illness."

On Tuesday, a US official said the reclusive Kim appeared to have suffered health problems that could have been caused by a stroke.

Washington  - North Korea leader Kim Jong Il appears to have suffered health problems that could have been caused by a stroke, a US official said Tuesday.

Kim's failure to appear at a national parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of North Korea further indicates the leader could be undergoing health problems, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"It does appear that Kim Jong Il has had a potential serious health setback - potentially a stroke," the official said, adding the ailment probably occurred within the past two weeks.

Seoul/Pyongyang - North Korea celebrated its 60th anniversary Tuesday, however, there were no reports of a military parade that was expected to be held, reported South Korean media.

While at a stalemate over its nuclear programmes, North Korea was expected to hold its largest ever military parade, in terms of number troops and military hardware, in its capital of Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korean military officials.

Beijing - US and Chinese officials on Saturday discussed the latest setback in the six-nation process to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, after a US envoy said his key concern was the verification mechanism for the dismantling of the programme.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill met China's chief envoy in the nuclear talks, Wu Dawei, and said his South Korean and Japanese counterparts also planned to meet Wu in Beijing on Saturday.

Hill said late Friday that North Korea had indicated concerns about how the disablement and dismantlement of its nuclear facilities would be verified.

"They are very clear they have concerns about the verification protocol," Hill told reporters.

Beijing - Envoys from South Korea and Japan discussed North Korea's nuclear weapons programme on Friday, amid uncertainty over whether Pyongyang is preparing to reassemble key facilities.

Officials said US chief negotiator Christopher Hill would hold trilateral talks with the South Korean and Japanese envoys on the nuclear programme on Friday evening.