DATE=6/1/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-NORTH KOREA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263051
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China has acknowledged that reclusive North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il visited Beijing earlier this
week on his first known foreign trip in 17 years. V-
O-A correspondent Roger Wilkison reports an official
account of the visit by the Chinese Foreign Ministry
and the state-owned Xinhua news agency was long on
rhetoric and short on detail.
TEXT: Kim Jong-il came to Beijing just days before he
is to meet with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in
an unprecedented summit. China is describing his
visit as unofficial, but says he was invited by
President Jiang Zemin.
The Chinese account says Kim Jong-il hailed Beijing's
market-oriented economic reforms that have raised
Chinese living standards over the past 20 years.
China has been pressing North Korea to open up its own
economy, which has been marked by severe food and
energy shortages in recent years. But Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue hinted Thursday
through an interpreter that Mr. Kim indicated he will
continue to go his own way.
/// INTERPRETER ACT ///
General Secretary Mr. Kim Jong-il expressed and
told the Chinese side that the (North Korean)
side is building (North Korean) style socialism
according to its own situation and the Chinese
side is building its socialism with Chinese
characteristics.
/// END ACT ///
China says it will grant a package of aid, consisting
of food and what Ms. Zhang called material supplies to
North Korea as the isolated state struggles to rebound
from several years of natural disasters compounded by
mismanagement of its collective farm system. But the
spokeswoman says she had no further details.
She says Mr. Kim held talks with President Jiang and
other Chinese leaders on bilateral relations and
regional affairs, but refused to be more explicit.
Reports on Mr. Kim's surprise visit had him arriving
in Beijing and departing the Chinese capital by
special train, but that was not mentioned in the
official Chinese account. Ms. Zhang would only say
that the North Korean leader was the guest of honor at
a banquet hosted by Mr. Jiang and that he visited
China's top computer firm.
Reporters wanted to know what kind of clothes Mr. Kim
wore during his visit, whether he ordered any special
meals and whether he still sports a pompadour haircut.
Ms. Zhang refused to answer such questions.
/// INTERPRETER ACT ///
I don't think it is polite to comment on a state
leader in such an open occasion. But I do want
to say that he looks quite healthy.
/// END ACT ///
Diplomats in Beijing say Mr. Kim's visit marks a
warming of ties between the two communist allies.
Relations have been relatively cool over the past
eight years, following China's establishment of
diplomatic links with South Korea. (signed)
NEB/RW/JP
01-Jun-2000 09:40 AM EDT (01-Jun-2000 1340 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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