China has made a rare appeal to North Korea to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities amid signs that recent tension on the Korean peninsula might be easing.

Beijing, Pyongyang’s only ally, has refused to criticise it publicly despite coming under intense pressure since a North Korean attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in November. “We support North Korea to make peaceful use of nuclear energy, but it should also respect inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency under the framework of the six-party talks,” said Jiang Yu, a foreign ministry spokeswoman.

She made the remarks after Bill Richardson, the US governor of New Mexico, had said after a private trip to North Korea that Pyong-yang had agreed to do just that. “The specifics are that they will allow IAEA personnel to go to [North Korea’s main nuclear site] Yongbyon to ensure that they are not processing highly enriched uranium, that they are proceeding with peaceful purposes,’’ Mr Richardson said while in transit at Beijing.