They may have failed so far to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, but negotiators to six-party talks huddled around a table in Beijing's exclusive Diaoyutai State Guesthouse have certainly scored a few firsts.

This round marks the first time delegates from the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China have agreed to open-ended talks. They have gone for eight days - twice as long as any of the previous three rounds - and a ninth was set for today, though that might be the end of it.

It is also the first time the US delegation is talking more than the North Korean. The top US negotiator, Christopher Hill has been holding regular impromptu news conferences, free of the tight diplomatic leash the White House cinched to his predecessor, James Kelly.

At past rounds, it was Pyongyang's unpredictable envoys who kept the foreign media on their toes, calling news conferences outside their embassy at all hours of the night. Giving the press 15 minutes notice, they precipitated a midnight dash through Beijing to the gates of the North Korean mission.

This time the North Koreans have given no news conferences, though a handful of foreign media, taking no chances, have kept vigil at the mission.

The latest round, thus far, appears relatively insult-free. During previous rounds, North Korea issued scathing rhetorical attacks on Washington through the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency.

In fact, the United States fired the first volley in the battle of barbs, when President George W Bush early in his administration labeled the reclusive North as part of an ``axis of evil.'' His secretary of state also called Pyongyang an ``outpost of tyranny.''

During this round, both sides have refrained from trading insults and diplomats say despite some moments of ``fierce debate'' the talks have remained cordial.

The two main protagonists have held bilateral meetings nearly every day. South Korean media said Hill and his counterpart, Kim Kye Gwan, even sat down for dinner Saturday at a North Korean-owned restaurant.

At Diaoyutai, the six parties have engaged for the first time in serious discussions aimed at producing a joint statement that all can agree to, although they have been having trouble getting anyone to agree to anything.

The Chinese hosts took note of objections to their first draft text, presented to the other parties in English, and came back with a revised draft.

Pyongyang and Washington negotiators remain leagues apart, locked in a chicken-and-egg debate over whether the North dismantles its nuclear programs before receiving aid, security guarantees and recognition, or whether the US concessions come first, or even at the same time.

With everyone having stated their position, the talks to some have begun to appear like one big poker game.

``The cards are all on the table and we need to find wisdom to use them properly,'' said Song Min Soon, head of the South Korean delegation. ``We have almost played our hand.''