Beijing has expressed a willingness to cooperate with Tokyo to realize a summit between North Korea and Japan. 

Citing multiple diplomatic sources, Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Thursday that Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou disclosed the intent while meeting with a group of Japanese lawmakers in the Chinese capital on Sunday. 

Kong, who is also Beijing’s top nuclear envoy, is reportedly pegged to become China’s next ambassador to Japan. 

Japan's public broadcaster NHK also said Kong shared Beijing’s intent to help arrange a North Korea-Japan summit, noting that momentum needs to be established for dialogue between Tokyo and Pyongyang. 

NHK added that Kong shared his views on the North’s recent launch of short-range projectiles as well.

He was quoted as saying that the launch appears to reflect Pyongyang’s anxiety over the stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S. and is believed to be aimed at prodding Washington into action.