North Korea is likely to use annual military drills between South Korea and the United States as an "excuse" for the North to follow through on its threats to conduct a fourth nuclear test, a Chinese expert said Wednesday.

North Korea, which has threatened to carry out a nuclear test in response to a U.N. resolution censuring its human rights record, offered on Saturday to temporarily suspend nuclear tests if the U.S. agreed to cancel annual military exercises with South Korea, a proposal firmly rejected by both Seoul and Washington.

"The current international nuclear order exerts limited restraint over North Korea's nuclear issue," Wang Xiaobo, professor at the College of Political Science and Public Management of Yanbian University, wrote in an op-ed piece published by China's state-run Global Times newspaper.

"Out of the demands of domestic politics, North Korea can go ahead with a new test regardless of concerns from the international community," Wang said.

"As North Korea projects responsibility for its nuclear activities on the U.S. and the international community, new military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea or the U.S. and Japan may become an excuse for its fourth nuclear test," Wang said.

"In the foreseeable future, security on the Korean Peninsula will continue to be a swinging pendulum."

In New York on Tuesday, a senior North Korea diplomat again urged the United States to accept Pyongyang's proposal to halt joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises in exchange for the North's suspension of nuclear tests.

The North's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, An Myong-hun, told reporters that "many things" will be possible this year if the offer is realized but declined to answer questions on what might happen if the offer is rejected.

South Korea and the U.S. have annually conducted joint military drills, which they say are defensive in nature and aimed at maintaining their defense capability against a belligerent North Korea.

It has been a perennial habit for North Korea to halt the drills, denouncing them as a rehearsal for the invasion of the reclusive country.

North Korea, which conducted its third and most powerful nuclear test in February 2013, has repeated calls for the immediate resumption of six-nation disarmament-for-aid talks.

North Korea has a track record of starting a crisis, coming to negotiations and reaching an agreement in exchange for economic and other concessions, then ditching the deal.

Mindful of the North's behavior, South Korea and the U.S. have called for Pyongyang to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization through actions before the six-party talks can resume. Diplomatic efforts by China, North Korea's long-time ally, have still been seen as more accommodating toward Pyongyang. (Yonhap)