China says hopes visit of North Korean envoy can ease tension

BEIJING (Reuters) - China hopes that a visit by a senior North Korean envoy can ease tension in the region and help spur efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

"We hope that this visit can ameliorate the present tension on the Korean peninsula and give new impetus to pushing for the denuclearization of the peninsula," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily briefing.

Choe Ryong-hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, met Chinese officials this week and said that North Korea was willing to return to talks, according to Chinese reports.

Tension has been mounting between North Korea and China even though China is the North's most important economic and political backer.

(Reporting by Terril Yue Jones; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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