A Japanese daily says China has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in August.

The Asahi Shimbun quoted Taku Yamasaki, a former secretary general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as saying Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping made the invitation in talks with Kim in Pyongyang last week.

Yamasaki also said that if Kim accepts the invitation, summit talks on the Korean Peninsula are possible since leaders from the U.S., Japan and other major countries are expected to attend the opening ceremony.

The Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun also reported that Xi's visit to Pyongyang was also intended to invite Kim to the ceremony for a possible summit with U.S. President George W. Bush.