Chinese president 'to visit North Korea'

Kim Jong-Il has made two secretive visits to China

Chinese President Jiang Zemin is to visit North Korea next month for talks with Kim Jong-Il, according to diplomats.

It will be the first time President Jiang has visited North Korea.

A diplomat in Beijing said the visit would take place towards the end of September, but other diplomats said earlier in September was more likely.

The planned visit follows two secretive trips to China by Mr Kim - one in January and one last May.

Mr Kim is currently ending a month-long train trip to Russia during which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their countries' close ties.

China is North Korea's closest ally and has been trying to encourage Pyongyang to make peace with South Korea. Such peace moves would be likely to top the agenda for discussion, as would China and North Korea's relations with the US.

Chinese diplomacy

China has not officially confirmed the visit but another diplomat said it was likely to be announced soon.

Kim Jong-Il appears to be becoming less reclusive

At the time of Mr Kim's visit to Shanghai in January, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said President Jiang had accepted an invitation to make a return visit. No suggested dates were disclosed, but in March, the president's advisor, Zeng Qinghong, visited Pyongyang to prepare for the visit.

China and North Korea have had close ties since China fought on the North Korean side during the 1950-53 Korean war.

Relations cooled when Beijing forged diplomatic links with South Korea in 1992, but the two countries have become closer again in recent years.

As well as trying to be a peacebroker between North and South, China has encouraged North Korea to follow its example in working towards economic reform.

When Mr Kim visited Shanghai, China's financial capital, he was taken on a tour of the stock exchange.