So which is it?

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that North Korea is getting ready for another round of tests. That North Korea is escalating the situation and that "Tang (Chinese diplomat just returning from The DPRK) did not tell me (Rice) that Kim Jong-il either apologised for the test or said that he would not ever test again." While Korean sources are still clinging to the hope that the situation will just roll over and die.

The truth is, no matter what was said to Tang, North Korea will do what is in its best interest. It will decide, on its own, when and where it'll take its Nuclear Program. That seems to be what this is all about no? The fact that the DPRK doesn't want an outside source telling it what to do. It makes me wonder why it'd listen to China instead of the US in this regard (yeah, I know you're shouting "but what about China's aid!?" - Honestly, I think the North is bull-headed enough to go without... for how long I do not know though).