China's point man on North Korea's nuclear issue is to return to Beijing after a four-day visit to Pyongyang.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper said Ning Fukui and North Korean officials have been discussing the opening of a planned working-group meeting among members of the six-nation nuclear talks aimed at resolving North Korea's nuclear impasse.

The report said the Chinese envoy, who arrived in the North Korean capital on Saturday, is expected to return to Beijing on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo said Ning will also visit Japan to discuss the planned working-group meeting in coming days. Dai made the comments at talks with Japan's New Komeito Party leader Takenori Kanzaki in Tokyo Monday.