North Korean's dictator Kim Jong-Il makes secret trip to China
Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) Nuclear programs and economic problems will be the main issues tackled by North Korea's President Kim Jong-Il, who arrived this morning in Beijing for a 4-day trip to China. The news of his special visit was only revealed thanks to the South Korean mass media.
It is anything but an open meeting of leaders, as Beijing and Pyongyang have shown maximum reserve about the purposes of Kim's trip. Government sources have only said they no have no information to declare. The official North Korean state press agency, KCNA, made no mention of the Kim's trip.
In 2000 and 2001, Beijing and Pyongyang also failed to announce in advance Kim's arrival in China. The South Korean television network, KBS, said the North Korean's visit was likely a secret. In the last few weeks, anonymous sources said Japan and South Korea had forecasted Kim Jong-Il's China trip.
According to the South Korean press Kim has set several objectives for his trip. Among his first priorities is reestablishing his country's traditional alliance with China, which became strained 2 years ago when North Korean officials arrested the Chinese, German-born businessman, Yang Bin.
Secondly on Kim's agenda is the dramatic issue of North Korean refugees in China. In the last few years the Chinese government has collaborated with Pyongyang to hunt down and repatriate the refugees, who were forced to live clandestinely while waiting to reach new locations.
Today's edition of the South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper said Chinese police had arrested 4 North Korean refugees trying to enter their county's consulate in Qingdao.
In yesterday's publication of the newspaper there was the news of the Durihana Missionary Foundation, a South Korean Christian human rights organization. The organization reported an incident at the beginning of April when Chinese police killed a North Korean refugee and captured 17 others attempting to flee to Mongolia.
Moreover, on Kim's agenda is the issue concerning the dismantling of the North Korean nuclear arms program, in which Beijing has acted as an important mediator.
Last February talks held in Beijing (between the North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States) brought the nuclear program issue to a deadlock. Yesterday, Pyongyang called U.S. Vice-President Cheney "mentally disturbed" in response to his statements made regarding the nuclear crisis on his recent trip to South Korea.
Finally, at this week's meetings Pyongyang will likely seek China's help in dealing with the country's serious economic and food crises, which continue to plague the North Korean population.
The South Korean news service, Yonhap, said Kim departed yesterday aboard a train along with 40 others of his personal entourage. Yet he wasn't expect to arrive until tomorrow or the next day in the capital.
The North Korean president was supposed to make stops in Shenyang or Dalian to see in person economic reforms China has put in practice. Yet a trip around such Chinese cities was postponed until the end of his talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing.
Chinese President Hu Jintao will be meeting with Kim for the first time, since the Chinese leader was elected president in 2003. Also expected to meet with Kim are Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, former president Jiang Zemin (now head of the Chinese military commission), Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and legislative assembly chief, Wu Bangguo.
Chinese sources have affirmed that the North Korean leader was invited to China by the Communist party and not the Chinese government. (MR)
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12/02/2016 15:14
06/07/2006
