Japanese media reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry has requested ambassadors from four countries to refrain from irritating North Korea immediately after Kim Jong-il's death.

The media including Kyodo News Agency said Zhang Zhixin, deputy director at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called the four ambassadors individually to the Foreign Ministry on December 19, following the North's announcement of Kim Jong-il's death.

The four ambassadors were from South Korea, the United States, Japan and Russia. Such requests to all four countries from China have been extremely rare.

Zhang was cited to have said peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula would not only benefit China but all four countries. The Chinese official was said to have asked for cooperation in maintaining stability on the peninsula.

Analysts have said the move indicates China's will to support the third generation power succession to Kim Jong-un, since it conforms with China's own national interest.