North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has begun a secret visit to China Sunday for talks with Chinese leaders with the communist state's nuclear drive high on the agenda, media reports said.
A train carrying the reclusive Kim left Pyongyang and entered Chinese territory via the North Korean border city of Shinunju late Sunday, the Yonhap news agency said quoting diplomatic sources.
Kim is expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday or Wednesday for talks with Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao, Yonhap said, without elaborating on concrete schedules.
Earlier, Seoul's state-run broadcaster KBS also quoted unnamed Chinese diplomatic sources as reporting that Kim and 40 other officials would visit China from Monday through Thursday.
Officials in Beijing and Seoul could not confirm the visit.
Kim will meet with President Hu, Premier Wen Jiabao, ex-President Jiang Zemin and other top Chinese officials on the third round of six-nation talks aimed at easing a stand-off over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, KBS said.
KBS said Kim's "special train" made a brief stop at the Chinese border city of Dandong to receive greetings from Chinese officials amid heavy security.
Chinese officials have recently said Beijing is working to step up exchanges with Pyongyang, including an increase in high-level visits that could include a trip by North Korea's Kim.
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