Kim Jong-il to visit Guangdong province, entire luxury hotel reserved for him
Guangzhou (AsiaNews/SCMP) Currently, North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il is likely visiting the city of Guangzhou, travelling to Shenzhen tomorrow.
In Guangzhou, the city's most famous hotel, the White Swan Hotel, ordered guests to leave and staff said it was booked out until Monday for "an important meeting". Soon after the guests left, a convoy of minibuses, limousines and police cars swept up to the five-star establishment.
The visit is considered so top secret that even China's state news agency Xinhua was not allowed to post reporters in the hotel. Only two North Korean reporters were being allowed to accompany Mr Kim's delegation, media sources said.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan for the second time this week said he had no information regarding a visit by Kim. But Kim's last visit to the China was confirmed only after his departure.
A Russian news agency quoted a source in the North Korean capital as saying Kim was still in Pyongyang. If any North Korean VIP had crossed into China by train on Wednesday, as was reported, the source said, it was probably someone close to the North Korean leadership and possibly a relative of the 'Dear Leader'.
By contrast, South Korea's national news agency Yonhap reported that Kim was in Beijing receiving medical treatment.
Yonhap also reported that the 'Dear Leader' planned to visit Guangzhou where "the White Swan, the city's most opulent hotel, was reserved in its entirety for the 'Dear Leader'.
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill arrived in Beijing from Seoul yesterday to discuss holding a new round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme. He said he had no clue as to Kim's whereabouts and when asked whether he would meet the North Korean leader, Mr Hill said: "I have no plans."
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