NKorean leader spotted in China, economic aid, possible return to nuke talks likely on agenda

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NKorea’s Kim seen in China; nukes likely discussed

BEIJING — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was believed to have met with top Chinese officials on Thursday on a secretive visit to his most important ally focusing on economic aid for his struggling country and a possible return to nuclear talks.

Kim met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday night and held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao and other officials on Thursday, according to reports in South Korean media, which have closely followed the visit.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that Kim told Hu he is ready to return to the stalled denuclearization talks, but it gave no details. Kim has said the same thing in the past, but usually with attached conditions, such as a long-sought direct dialogue with the United States. Yonhap did not say what, if any, conditions he placed this time.

Yonhap reported that Kim’s special armored train left Beijing late Thursday afternoon headed for North Korea. It was not possible to confirm the report although a special motorcade was seen entering the Beijing train station. Kim is known to shun air travel.

Kim’s movements are never announced until his trips are finished, but journalists have spotted him in China and broadcasters have caught a glimpse of the leader on tape.

Scholars have said they expected Kim to express some new willingness to rejoin the long-stalled China-sponsored negotiations, under which North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear programs in return for aid.

North Korea quit the talks a year ago and then conducted a nuclear test that drew tightened U.N. sanctions. The last round of the talks — which also include China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. — was held in December 2008.

China is considered the linchpin in the negotiations, as it provides the vast majority of North Korea’s aid. Unwilling to brook any unrest on its border, China’s top priority is to prevent the regime’s crumbling amid grinding poverty, economic chaos and political uncertainty. Although the exact extent of its influence isn’t known, China is widely seen as having the most clout with Kim’s isolated, hard-line government.

But South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has said no new talks can be held until a full investigation takes place into the recent sinking of one of its warships. Suspicion is rising that a North Korean torpedo destroyed and downed the Cheonan, killing dozens of sailors in March. Pyongyang has denied involvement.

Speculation on Kim’s other activities in Bejiing ranged from seeking medical care to visiting a section of the Great Wall of China north of the city center and Beijing’s flagship Zhongguancun high-tech zone.

The reclusive leader, who is rarely seen in public and surrounded by tight security at all times, is thought to have arrived Monday. Chinese officials have refused to confirm his presence in the country and no North Korean flags hung around central Tiananmen Square, in a break with usual practice during the visit of a foreign leader.

China’s willingness to accede to Kim’s strict, even bizarre, demands on security and secrecy reflect the unique nature of Beijing’s relationship with its communist ally, whom it backed with troops during the 1950-53 Korean War. This week’s visit marks Kim’s fifth to China since succeeding his father as ruler in 1994, with the last in 2006.

The timing of Kim’s China visit has aroused some complaints among South Korean politicians, who say it shows insensitivity toward the Cheonan victims. South Korean officials have asked that China play a “responsible role” in the aftermath of the sinking and keep them informed of Kim’s activities in China.

The sinking is expected to come up in three-way security talks with the foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China set for next Saturday, according to the South’s Yonhap news agency.

“I believe not only our country, but also the United States, China and all the other related nations share a mutual understanding on the seriousness of the Cheonan incident,” it quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun as telling a news briefing.

Associated Press Writer Kwang-tae Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.