China confirms visit by NKorean leader Kim Jong Il

[May 26, 2011]  BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese state media are confirming a visit by North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Il in a sign that his trip is over.

Kim made a secretive visit to China that began last Friday and came amid appeals for food aid and a new push by Beijing for its communist ally to enact economic reforms.

State broadcaster CCTV said Kim met with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leading officials and attended a state banquet in Beijing on Thursday night.

According to standard practice, neither Beijing nor Pyongyang confirm Kim's visits until after he returns to North Korea. No mention was made of the presence of 69-year-old Kim's son and heir-apparent Kim Jong Un on the visit.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

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BEIJING (AP) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reportedly visited a technology zone in Beijing on Thursday following a summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao that highlighted the North's growing dependency on its most important ally.

Kim was on what was expected to be the final day of a secretive weeklong visit to China that comes amid appeals for food aid and a new push by Beijing for its communist ally to enact economic reforms.

Kim's motorcade was seen Thursday morning leaving the state guesthouse where he is staying and headed for the capital's Zhongguancun technology zone. South Korean media and Chinese microblogs said he visited information technology company China Digital accompanied by Executive Vice Premier Li Keqiang.

Neither Beijing nor Pyongyang confirm Kim's visits until after he returns to North Korea, in keeping with the extreme secrecy and high security surrounding his travels. A receptionist at China Digital said she had no knowledge of a visit by Kim to the company and refused to transfer calls to other departments.

Kim generally avoids foreign travel, but his third trip to China in just over a year shows how much he relies on his neighbor.

China is North Korea's most vital diplomatic and economic supporter and is determined to shore up the isolated hard-line communist regime and forestall a collapse that could unleash political chaos and send waves of refugees across its border. It's economy in ruins, North Korea is again struggling to feed its people following flooding last summer and a bitter winter. The trip comes as a U.S. delegation visits North Korea to assess its food needs.

China's backing has grown even more important to North Korea since South Korea's conservative government halted unconditional food and fertilizer shipments in early 2008 and suspended almost all trade with the North. Pyongyang is also hobbled by sanctions from the U.S. and the U.N. designed to punish the country for violating nuclear agreements.

But while Beijing is pushing North Korea to reform its moribund economy, previous halfhearted attempts have been abandoned by Pyongyang and it's unclear how far 69-year-old Kim -- or his anointed successor, son Kim Jong Un -- are willing to go.

Earlier in his visit, Kim -- who is said to fear flying -- traveled by special armored train through China's northeast and south to the economic powerhouse province of Jiangsu. With his official meetings finished, he was believed to be headed home on Thursday afternoon, South Korea's YTN news channel and Yonhap News agency reported.

[Associated Press]

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