N.Korean leader to visit China again

North Korean Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il is likely to visit China again this spring.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said Monday that the North Korean leader's visit to China had been agreed between the two countries, adding that Kim also would inspect Shanghai and other industrial centers in that country.

Noting that Kim had visited Beijing last May, one month before his summit with South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung in Pyongyang, the same source predicted that there was a high probability that he would seriously discuss his planned trip to Seoul with the Chinese leaders.

In this connection, Kyodo News Agency of Japan reported that during his Shanghai visit, Chairman Kim is expected to look around the stock market and other industrial facilities there and utilize his inspections for economic reform in his nation. Therefore, his China visit will greatly influence the North's economic policy formulations, the source said.

Meanwhile, another diplomatic source in Beijing said Sunday that the North Korean leader is currently visiting China, inspecting Dandong, Shanghai and other industrial zones, but this has not been confirmed.