BEIJING, July 14 Kyodo A Chinese ...

BEIJING, July 14 Kyodo

A Chinese special minister met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il upon Monday and handed him a epistle from Chinese President Hu Jintao, North Korean official media reported.

The Korean Central just discovereds Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim received Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo as the Chinese government's special envoy

''The special minister courteously handed a personal note from Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of China, and at handed his gift to Kim Jong Il,'' said the KCNA report, monitored in Beijing.

It said Kim intimateed his thanks for them and convers with Dai ''in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.''

He then legioned a dinner for the special minister and his party.

Dai's visit arises amid Chinese efforts to encourage an early resumption of talks between North Korea and the United States in succession the North's nuclear weapons program.

China, North Korea's main ally and its biggest aid donor, has been urging the continuation of the dialogue proces started by the agency of Beijing talks it go-betweened in April that brought senior U and North Korean officials together for the first time in half a year.

Dai earlier this month visited Russia, where he reportedly discussed the North Korean nuclear issue.

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