Beijing ? The United States and North Korea were at odds over the communist nation’s demands for peaceful atomic power, as officials gathered in Beijing today for talks on ending the North’s nuclear weapons program.

Participants in the six-nation talks are working on a statement of principles laying the groundwork for stopping the North’s nuclear programs. The latest round of talks broke for a recess early last month after a record 13 days of talks failed to yield an agreement.

A sticking point has emerged over the North’s demands for a civilian nuclear program – something Washington has strongly resisted, saying the communist state’s past record proves it can’t be trusted with any nuclear program.

Today, the head of North Korea’s delegation said his country won’t tolerate any obstructions to its right to a peaceful nuclear program, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.

North Korea has the right to “peaceful nuclear activity,” it quoted Kim Gye Gwan as saying before leaving Pyongyang this morning to attend the talks in Beijing. “This right is neither awarded nor needs to be approved by others.”