May 30 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney called on China to help advance stalled talks with North Korea regarding their aspirations to make nuclear weapons.

``China can have a huge impact here, because they've got more extensive economic relationships with the North than anybody else,'' Cheney said in a taped interview on CNN's ``Larry King Live,'' set to be shown tonight. ``It's incumbent upon them to be major players here.''

North Korea has refused to return to six-party talks with the U.S., South Korea, Russia, Japan and China without promises of economic aid and an assurance that the U.S. won't take any military action against it. North Korea has accused the U.S. of planning to attack since President George W. Bush, in his January 2002 state of the union address, called North Korea, Iran and Iraq an ``axis of evil.''

Cheney, 64, said North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is ``one of the world's more irresponsible leaders'' and said he, ``obviously wants to throw his weight around and become a nuclear power.''

North and South Korea have agreed to hold minister-level talks in June. South Korea is attempting to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table on the nuclear program. South Korea has said extensive inter-Korean cooperation depends on the North returning to the six-nation nuclear talks.

Bolton Nomination

Cheney said John Bolton, the administration's candidate to become ambassador to the United Nations, should pick up the votes to break a block by Democratic senators when the Senate returns from its holiday recess. Democrats have held up the vote, saying they first want to review classified documents about his work in the State Department.

``There's nothing being hidden from them that they don't know,'' Cheney said on CNN, calling the request an excuse. ``We've got the votes to confirm him. I'm convinced we will get him confirmed.''

Cheney said Bolton, 56, undersecretary of state for arms control, would be a ``good, tough'' ambassador to the UN.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said he would renew the effort to confirm Bolton on June 7.

Cheney said he was more optimistic than he had been at any time in the last for years about the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, citing Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Cheney said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is the ``best hope'' and may be an effective negotiator.

``That doesn't mean it's going to be easy,'' Cheney said. ``But I think there's some movement here.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Timothy W. Doyle in Washington at tdoyle8@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 30, 2005 12:59 EDT