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North Korea: Kim Jong-il 'in Beijing to meet Hu Jintao' | North Korea: Kim Jong-il 'in Beijing to meet Hu Jintao' |
(about 6 hours later) | |
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is reported to be in Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao. | North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is reported to be in Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao. |
The secretive leader's armoured train was spotted in the capital and later a heavily guarded motorcade sped through the city. | The secretive leader's armoured train was spotted in the capital and later a heavily guarded motorcade sped through the city. |
China had already confirmed Mr Kim was in the country, on his third visit in little more than a year. | China had already confirmed Mr Kim was in the country, on his third visit in little more than a year. |
It comes as the North faces another severe food shortage and diplomatic isolation over its nuclear programme. | It comes as the North faces another severe food shortage and diplomatic isolation over its nuclear programme. |
North Korea's economy has collapsed in recent years and correspondents say China is keen to avoid a political crisis that could send masses of refugees over the border. | North Korea's economy has collapsed in recent years and correspondents say China is keen to avoid a political crisis that could send masses of refugees over the border. |
Mr Kim is also said to be soliciting Chinese support for his youngest son to succeed him as ruler. | Mr Kim is also said to be soliciting Chinese support for his youngest son to succeed him as ruler. |
Both countries usually do not announce details of Kim Jong-il's visits until they are over. | Both countries usually do not announce details of Kim Jong-il's visits until they are over. |
Food shortages | |
A BBC correspondent in Beijing, Martin Patience, says that for Kim Jung-Il the contrast could hardly be greater. | |
China is the world's fastest growing major economy - and back home, North Korea is facing a famine. | |
That Mr Kim is on his third visit to China in a year underscores Beijing's importance to Pyongyang. | |
Mr Kim's reported visits to factories and industrials parks in northern China is an attempt by Chinese officials to show the benefits of economic reform, our correspondent says. | |
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that six million North Koreans are suffering from food shortages. | The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that six million North Koreans are suffering from food shortages. |
A US envoy for human rights, Robert King, is on a week-long visit to the country to assess the severity of the shortages. | |
There has been fierce debate about whether Pyongyang is exaggerating the food problem to allow it to feed its army or stockpile supplies. | There has been fierce debate about whether Pyongyang is exaggerating the food problem to allow it to feed its army or stockpile supplies. |
North Korea is isolated in the international community because of its nuclear weapons development programme. | |
Pyongyang is believed to have enough plutonium to build about six atomic weapons. | |
Talks on North Korea's denuclearisation stalled in 2009. Efforts to revive them were complicated by North Korea's apparent sinking of a South Korean warship last March at the cost of 46 lives, and its shelling of a South Korean border island in November. | Talks on North Korea's denuclearisation stalled in 2009. Efforts to revive them were complicated by North Korea's apparent sinking of a South Korean warship last March at the cost of 46 lives, and its shelling of a South Korean border island in November. |
Seoul has wanted apologies, or at least acknowledgement, from the North before talks can resume. | Seoul has wanted apologies, or at least acknowledgement, from the North before talks can resume. |
Previous approaches to persuading the North to end its nuclear plans have included promises of aid and replacement technologies for Pyongyang. | Previous approaches to persuading the North to end its nuclear plans have included promises of aid and replacement technologies for Pyongyang. |