Chinese president's special envoy in North Korea

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo visited North Korea on Wednesday in his capacity as a special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, holding talks with the North's First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju, Pyongyang's Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"Dai Bingguo who is special envoy of Hu Jintao arrived in Pyongyang by plane,
together with Wu Dawei, vice minister of Foreign Affairs and Fu Ziying, vice
minister of Commerce," the KCNA said in a brief dispatch from the North Korean
capital, monitored here.
The KCNA also said the Chinese delegates watched the grand gymnastic and artistic
performance "Arirang" at the May Day Stadium and attended a welcoming reception
held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday night after their arrival in
Pyongyang.
It noted North Korean participants in the reception included First Vice Foreign
Minister Kang and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong-il.
In a related report, China's official news agency, Xinhua, reported earlier
Wednesday that Dai held talks with Kang, and they "thoroughly exchanged views on
bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern."
The abrupt North Korea visit by Hu's envoy came after reports alleged that
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao may visit the North in early October amid discussion
between Washington and Pyongyang about possible bilateral talks aimed at
denuclearizing the North.
Dai, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington in July,
is expected to deliver the U.S. government's viewpoint on the Korean Peninsula
situation and the stalled six-way talks, as well as Beijing's solutions to those
issues, according to diplomatic watchers in Seoul.
Considering his status as a special envoy of the Chinese leader, Dai is also
expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il while in Pyongyang, said
the watchers.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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