North Korea said Friday that it is still willing to sit for talks with the United States "at any time, [in] any format," a remarkably restrained and diplomatic response, from a nation noted for its proud belligerence, to U.S. President Donald Trump's cancellation of a summit with the North's autocratic leader, Kim Jong Un.

The statement by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, a longtime nuclear negotiator and senior diplomat, which said the North is "willing to give the U.S. time and opportunities" to reconsider talks that had been set for June 12 in Singapore, could be driven by a need to use the summit to ease crushing international sanctions, or by a determination that a summit with the mercurial Trump is the best opportunity the North will ever have to elevate itself, and its nuclear program, to equality with its archrival.

The commander of U.S. Forces Korea has also said President Donald Trump's cancellation of his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un doesn't mean that the doors are closed to a future meeting to resolve the nuclear standoff.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Friday that Gen. Vincent Brooks made the comments during a seminar in Seoul.

Yonhap quoted Brooks as saying: "I am not worried about it because the opportunity is not lost. It is just delayed. ... Don't worry about what happened last night because it may have been too early to celebrate, it is also too early to quit. Never quit."

South Korea's Unification Ministry also maintained an optimistic tone, referring to North Korea's (formally known as the DPRK) conciliatory reaction to Trump's announcement and its hope a summit could take place later.

Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-hyun said: "There have been no changes in the stance of related parties in that the problem should be solved through dialogue."

China has urged the U.S. and North Korea to be patient and "show goodwill" after the cancellation. China had backed the summit, though analysts suggested that Beijing was likely worried that Trump and Kim could end up striking a deal that would harm its strategic interests in the region.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang noted that both Trump and North Korea still left the door open to holding talks after the U.S. leader scrapped his meeting with Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore.

"The recent easing situation on the peninsula is hard won, the political settlement process is faced with a rare historic opportunity," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press conference.

"We believe as the parties directly engaged on the issue, the summit of the DPRK and U.S. can play a crucial role for promoting the denuclearization of the peninsula," Lu said, using North Korea's official initials

"Under the current circumstances we hope both the DPRK and the U.S. can cherish the recent positive progress, stay patient, show goodwill, move in the same direction and continue to stay committed to promoting the denuclearization of the peninsula."

Beijing's relations with Pyongyang, its traditional ally, had been strained by the nuclear crisis, with China backing a slew of United Nations sanctions following the North's atomic and missile tests.

President Xi Jinping met twice with Kim within two months as they sought to repair ties. China remains Pyongyang's main major ally and economic partner.

President Trump suggested earlier this week, before cancelling the summit, that the veteran Chinese president may have had an influence on the younger North Korean autocrat, whose position apparently hardened after meeting Xi twice within two months.