North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has yet to respond to an invitation from Chinese President Hu Jintao in the wake of July's missile tests, Kyodo news reported Sunday, citing diplomatic sources in Seoul. Hu's invitation came amid fears in Beijing that Kim is becoming ambivalent to Chinese influence after he ignored calls for the missile tests to be cancelled. Beijing is said to want fresh talks to reconnect with Pyongyang so that it is in a position to dissuade Kim if he tries to pursue nuclear tests in the future. Kim's hesitance in responding can be tied to a cooling in relations between the two countries in response to China backing a UN Security Council resolution condemning the tests. However, Kim is widely expected to accept the invitation and avoid marginalizing himself from one of his few remaining allies.
Categories