Japan's concerns about abduction issue conveyed to N. Korea+

TOKYO, Feb. 20 Kyodo -
Visiting senior Chinese Communist Party official Wang Jiarui said Friday he
mentioned Japan's concerns over the abduction issue to North Korea when he
visited the country in late January.
''I am aware of Japan's concerns about the abduction and nuclear issues. I
conveyed them (to North Korea) in my own way,'' the head of the party's
International Department, told reporters.
Wang, however, declined to say if he had spoken of the Japanese concerns
directly to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and how the North Korean side had
reacted.
As for the health of Kim, who is widely believed to have suffered a stroke last
August, Wang said that ''there was no difference'' in his impression of the
leader, compared with when he last saw Kim in January 2008.
==Kyodo
2009-02-20 21:37:25