A leading Japanese daily says Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo is discussing with North Korean officials ways for China to provide financial aid to Pyongyang.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun made the report Friday, saying the councilor arrived in the North for a visit on Wednesday as Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy. The daily noted that Dai was accompanied by a deputy minister of commerce who is in charge of overseas aid.

The paper said China’s move is apparently aimed at helping the financially struggling North and at getting Pyongyang to return to the stalled six-way nuclear talks.

Earlier in January, China promised to provide the North with financial aid when the head of the international department of China’s Communist Party, Wang Jiarui, visited Pyongyang. However, Beijing has been withholding the provision of any new economic assistance following the North's nuclear test in May.