North Korean special train arrives in China

A special train, possibly carrying the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, has entered the border city of Dandong in Liaoning Province in northeastern China.

The train that arrived in Dandong at about 2:50 a.m. local time (18:50 GMT Friday) on Saturday appeared to be carrying Kim but could also be an advance train preceding his trip, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The North Korean leader rarely travels abroad and only under tight security. He last visited China in January 2006.

Kim's possible trip to North Korea's most important ally and biggest aid provider, China, comes as the United States and regional powers are trying to win Pyongyang's willingness to return to six-party talks and resume the stalled multilateral negotiations aimed at dismantling its nuclear weapons program.

The six-party talks, involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia, have been frozen since April last year.

Pyongyang has set two conditions for its return to the talks: Lifting UN sanctions against it and holding peace talks aimed at formally ending the 1950-1953 Korean War.

But Washington, Seoul and Tokyo say Pyongyang must first return to the talks and show notable progress before its conditions can be considered.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122329§ionid=351020405.