Dai Bingguo, visiting Chinese vice foreign minister, on Thursday urged Japan to resolve the abductions issue via bilateral talks with North Korea rather than through six-way negotiations.
"It is better to take it up in negotiations between Japan and North Korea," Dai said during a meeting with Hiromu Nonaka, former secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Japan is hoping to resolve the issue through six-party talks with the U.S., China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
These talks were originally designed to defuse the North Korea nuclear development issue.
Nonaka called on Dai to address the abductions issue during the six-way talks, which are expected to take place next month, saying no progress would be made through bilateral talks.
During a meeting with Dai later in the day, Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi asked for China's cooperation on the abductions issue.
He stressed the need to seek a comprehensive resolution for issues related to North Korea, such as its development of nuclear arms, other missiles and the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.
"China understands the feelings of the abduction victims," Dai was quoted as saying by Japanese officials.
Dai is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and LDP Secretary General Shinzo Abe on Friday.