Mystery N. Korean visitor in China under veil of security

By REUTERS
05/21/2011 05:38

CHANGCHUN, China - A secretive convoy from North Korea reached the northeast Chinese city of Changchun on Saturday, in what may be the latest stop by the North's ruler Kim Jong-il as he seeks to shore up ties with his country's sole major supporter.

Neither Beijing nor Pyongyang has said whether he, or possibly his son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un, is visiting China. Both sides are habitually secretive about such trips, and there have been no definitive sightings.

But the tight security and unscheduled train movements echoed the script of past visits by 69-year-old Kim Jong-il, who visited twice last year to woo his powerful neighbor.

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