Kim committed to nuclear talks, says China

A plainclothes security personnel assists a member of the Chinese paramilitary police with his cap before the arrival of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il outside the Diaoyutai state guest house in Beijing. Photo: AP.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has reaffirmed his nation’s commitment to multilateral talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, China said on Friday.

Mr. Kim gave the commitment at talks on Wednesday with President Hu Jintao, China’s official Xinhua news agency said in its first confirmation of a secretive visit by Mr. Kim.

The agency quoted Mr. Kim as telling Mr. Hu that North Korea “remains unchanged in sticking to de—nuclearisation on the Korean peninsula.” He said North Korea wanted to “work with China to create favourable conditions for restarting the six—party talks,” referring to negotiations involving North Korea, China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

Mr. Hu and Mr. Kim discussed the six—party talks and other international and regional issues, the agency said.

North Korea abandoned the six—party talks in April 2009.

Mr. Hu was quoted as telling Mr. Kim that the two nations should “deepen economic and trade cooperation,” and “strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs to better serve regional peace and stability.” Mr. Kim said he “fully agrees with Hu’s proposals on pragmatic cooperation” between North Korea and China, the agency said.

Hu accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea at a date to be decided, it said.

Mr. Kim and Mr. Hu visited a biotechnology company in Beijing, which Mr. Kim said gave him “new understandings of China’s development and progress,” the agency said.

North Korea’s state news agency reported on Friday that Mr. Kim had paid an “unofficial visit to the People’s Republic of China” from Monday to Friday.

Mr. Kim also visited the north—eastern Chinese port cities of Tianjin and Dalian, Xinhua quoted a report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency as saying.

Mr. Kim’s special train is believed to have left Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

Beijing followed its usual protocol by declining to confirm Mr. Kim’s visit until he had left China. It was his first visit to China in four years.

Diplomats in Beijing had expected Kim to ask China, one of the hermit state’s few allies, for economic aid and investment. Economic aid could sweeten Pyongyang’s willingness to re—engage in the six—party talks, analysts said.