Kim Jong-il leaves China with Hu Jintao’s last handout
Neither China nor North Korea confirmed Kim’s visit, but after the train pulled into the station in the Chinese capital, some 20 cars drove down Chang’an Avenue in downtown Beijing, amid unusual police controls. This was Kim Jong-il’s third visit to China in a year.
South Korean news agency Yonhap said that Kim came to Beijing “apparently for a summit meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao”. The two leaders met previously during Kim’s earlier visits to China.
In addition to top officials at China’s Economics Ministry, Kim tried to convince President Hu and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to help his impoverished country, which needs food aid, and confirm his chosen successor, his younger son Kim Jong-un, at the helm of the Communist dynasty that has ruled North Korea since the founding of the state.
However, Kim badly needs diplomatic support, said Cai Jian, a professor of Korean studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. “It's unlikely, but not out of question, that a national leader would directly stretch out his hand for economic aid,” Cai said, but “I would think that what he's seeking is more diplomatic and political support. For example, in dealing with South Korea and the United States,” he said.
After relations with South Korea and most of the world soured, Pyongyang has to rely ever more on Beijing for economic and diplomatic support. In 2010, trade between China and North Korea grew to US$ 3.5 billion, up 29.6 per cent from 2009, according to Chinese customs data. By comparison, China's trade with South Korea was worth US$ 207.2 billion in 2007.
Still, China appears tired of financially propping up the Pyongyang regime. Keen to keep North Korea from collapse, it has prodded Pyongyang's leaders to launch Chinese-style economic reforms. However, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Tokyo on the weekend that Kim was in China to study “economic development” and market reform.
In light of this, Kim Jong-il's armoured train stopped in the eastern city of Yangzhou to meet former President Jiang Zemin. The latter has a good relationship with Kim Jong-il and led China's economic reform launched Deng Xiaoping. Thus, he would be a good teacher for Pyongyang rulers on how to implement market reform.
In any event, sources in Korea told AsiaNews that the trip represents “a crucial moment for the two countries. Hu Jintao is trying his best to achieve the status of world leader, and has many problems on human rights in China. He certainly does not need a rogue ally on his back, something the international community constantly points out. Today is Hu Jintao’s last handout for the old Kim”.
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