UN Security Council members are due to meet informally on Monday for a second round of negotiations on a Russian and Chinese proposal to lift a raft of sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

China and Russia are convening negotiations a day before DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's deadline for the United States to show flexibility in stalled talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons program.

Meanwhile, a key meeting of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea is under way. On Sunday Kim discussed foreign affairs, armaments and the defense industry with top party officials, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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Kim emphasized the need to take "positive and offensive measures for fully ensure the sovereignty and security of the country as required by the present situation," KCNA reported.

Kim also called for efforts to improving science, education, and public health.

"He put forward in detail the orientation of the struggle for bringing about a decisive turn in the development of the country's economy and people's standard of living," the KCNA said.

The DPRK has previously warned the U.S. could receive an unwanted "Christmas gift." 

"The dialogue touted by the U.S. is, in essence, nothing but a foolish trick hatched to keep the DPRK bound to dialogue and use it in favor of the political situation and election in the U.S.," the DPRK's Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song said in early December, according to KCNA. "It is entirely up to the U.S. what Christmas gift it will select to get."

In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said last week the U.S. was ready to deal with any "Christmas gift" amid U.S. concerns Pyongyang might be preparing a long-range missile test.

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Russia and China proposed a draft UN Security Council resolution earlier this month that would lift sanctions on industries that reportedly earned the DPRK hundreds of millions of dollars. Those sanctions were imposed in 2016 and 2017 to cut off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

In an attempt to preserve council unity on the DPRK, diplomats said the United States put forward a draft press statement on the issue, but that move was dismissed by Russia and China.

The countries have instead scheduled on Monday a second round of talks on their draft resolution, diplomats said.

"To maintain peace and stability, to solve problems through dialogue and consultation, to build a permanent peace mechanism on the peninsula, and achieve denuclearization there, are the starting points for China and Russia to push forward this draft resolution," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang during Monday's regular press conference.

He stressed that China and Russia propose to adjust part of the sanction against the DPRK to meet humanitarian needs and to support the dialogue process. 

"China is currently maintaining communication with the members of the UN Security Council and relevant parties on the draft resolution," he noted.

(With input from agencies)