NHK reported online that China’s Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou, who has been tapped as the next ambassador to Japan, told a group of Japanese parliamentarians in Beijing on May 5 that China is hoping that the level of dialogue between Japan and the DPRK will be elevated and that Beijing is willing to give support to Tokyo in this regard. The broadcaster interpreted this remark as an expression of China’s intention to help realize a summit between Prime Minister Abe and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

The network said that Kong also commented on the DPRK’s firing of projectiles on May 4 by saying that Pyongyang is probably becoming impatient.