Kim Jong Il makes rare visit to Beijing

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was making his way to meet with Chinese leaders in Beijing on Wednesday, AP reported. According to South Korea’s Yonhap news service, Kim arrived in Tianjin on Monday by train and was later spotted in Dalian where he visited Japanese and South Korean factories. Kim’s trips to China usually aren’t announced until he leaves the country and Chinese officials refused to confirm his presence. South Korean leadership expressed concern about the visit in light of the March 23 sinking of one of its warships, widely believed to have been destroyed by North Korean forces. If South Korea makes its accusations official, the country could ask China to support punitive multilateral sanctions against its northern neighbor. Observers expect Kim to highlight North Korea’s need for economic aid and diplomatic backing during discussions in Beijing. Kim’s last visit to China was in 2006. This is his first trip abroad since a suspected stroke in 2008.