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N. Korean Leader Expected to Meet with Chinese President

   VOA News 04 May 2010

   North  Korean  leader Kim Jong Il is continuing a highly secretive and
   rare visit to  China, North Korea's most important ally and source of
   food and fuel.
   Chinese  authorities  blocked  foreign  reporters  from  covering  the
   arrival  of  Mr.  Kim's  armored  train  in the Chinese border town of
   Dandong on Monday and, later, the town of Dalian, where he is believed
   to have spent the night.
   South Korean and Japanese reports say Mr. Kim is expected to travel to
   Beijing  to  meet  with  Chinese President Hu Jintao. They say he will
   likely  seek  financial  aid,  following a failed currency reform last
   year that worsened North Korean inflation and sparked civil unrest.
   Mr.  Hu  will likely try to persuade Mr. Kim to bring North Korea back
   to the six-party talks on dismantling its nuclear program.
   Pyongyang pulled out of the talks in Beijing last year.
   North  Korea  also  faces  heightened tension with South Korea, due to
   speculation  that Pyongyang was responsible for the sinking of a South
   Korean naval ship in March, killing 46 sailors.
   Monday,  Japan's Kyodo news agency published photographs that appeared
   to show Mr. Kim wearing a pair of dark glasses and his trademark khaki
   outfit  outside  a  hotel  in  Dalian. Japanese television network NHK
   showed  video  of  what it said was Mr. Kim getting into a car outside
   the hotel.
   If  confirmed,  the  visit will mark Mr. Kim's first known trip abroad
   since he reportedly suffered a stroke in 2008.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

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