TMCnet News
Kim's whereabouts unknown, Shanghai remains possibility+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)BEIJING, Jan. 11_(Kyodo) _ North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's whereabouts in China remained unknown Wednesday, but Shanghai is still a possibility, with a diplomatic source in Beijing saying a motorcade has been seen in the city in the morning. The source said that the group of cars, believed to be for an important figure, was seen near Shanghai railway station shortly after 10 a.m. But a Chinese source said that Kim, who is reportedly traveling on a special train, reached Beijing late on Tuesday, adding to the mystery of his whereabouts. Kim traveled to China on the train in an unannounced visit Tuesday, his first in nearly two years, according to separate diplomatic sources. The sources said the train carrying Kim passed through the Chinese border city of Dandong on Tuesday morning and arrived at the northeastern city of Shenyang around noon that day, before traveling on to an unknown destination. China has declined to confirm or deny the visit. North Korea has remained silent on the topic. During past trips to China by the North Korean leader, the two governments did not confirm he had paid visits until he returned to North Korea. Kim last visited China in April 2004, as part of reciprocal visits between the two countries. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited North Korea last October and met with Kim in Pyongyang. Kim's visit comes at a time when North Korea is refusing to return to the six-party talks on its nuclear ambitions, citing U.S. financial sanctions linked to the North's alleged counterfeiting and moneylaundering activities as the reason. China is the host of the talks, which also involve South Korea, the United States, Japan and Russia. But talks between the leaders of the two countries in the past have focused more on bilateral issues, rather than multilateral topics. China is not only the region's biggest ally for North Korea, but also a major provider of food and energy to the country. |