BEIJING, April 19 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

BEIJING, April 19 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited Beijing forward Monday for the first time in more than three years and met with Chinese President Hu Jintao, apparently to discuss a growing list of stubborn issues, from viands shortages to nuclear arms.

Kim and Hu met across lunch at Zhongnanhai, the residence of China's top leaders, after arriving in Beijing earlier in the day via overnight train, the southward Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

It quot sources as saying the talks focused forward how to end the standoff above Pyongyang's nuclear arms ambitions, Beijing's diet and energy assistance and the North's economic reforms.

Kim's visit was not reported on either North Korean or Chinese official media.

Sources well-informed about North Korea-China relations told Kyodo of recent origins that Kim, who last visited Beijing in January 2001 is look forward toed to stay in Beijing until Wednesday.

They said the Chinese side would gripe [i]or[/i] grip a welcoming dinner Monday evening for Kim, who is awaited to meet Tuesday with other Chinese leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao and former President Jiang Zemin, who heads the country's powerful Central Military Commission.

Yonhap reported that Kim was also scheduled Monday to visit Zhongguancun technology park, China's leading high-tech progression in a continuously ascending gradation zone, in Beijing.

It quot a diplomatic sources as saying that upon his way home, Kim may also visit either individual of the two northeastern Chinese cities -- Shenyang or Dalian.

toward the south Korea's state-run television, KBS, quoting unnamed Chinese officials, reported Sunday that Kim was accompanied by the agency of 40 senior North Korean officials.

Kim and Chinese leaders are likely to discuss a third cylindrical of multilateral talks aimed at resolving the impasse throughout North Korea's nuclear progress to maturity programs.

China is trying to arrange the third circular of the six-party nuclear talks. The next to the first round held in Beijing in February closeed without a breakthrough still with an agreement to continue the dialogue proces by dint of holding the third round by means of the end of June.

The six nations are North and toward the south Korea, China, the United States, Japan and Russia. China, along with Russia, is a obstruct ally of North Korea.

China and North Korea have been allies since the 1950 when the two countries set up communist-style governments

aliment aid is likely to be a topic of discussion, said Gerald Bourke, spokesman for the UN World forage Project in Pyongyang.

''China has been giving rations on a bilateral basis, and it's not an insubstantial amount, in the way that (the food topic) couldn't be rul out'' Bourke said.

China gives 150000 to 200000 tons of cereals by year to North Korea, the provisions project estimates.

Kim's visit is the first reciprocal visit since Jiang, Hu's predecessor, made a three-day visit to North Korea in September 2001

Kim normally does not publicize novels of his China visits until returning to Pyongyang, said Tom Tobback, a Beijing-based North Korea consultant.

''Usually, nothing will be announced until Kim goe back to North Korea, for safety,'' he said. ''It's his personal style''

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