BEIJING, April 19 (UPI) -- North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il met with China's President Hu Jintao Monday in Beijing to discuss several thorny issues from food shortages to nuclear arms.
It was Kim's first such visit to China in more than three years, the Kyodo news service reported quoting South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
Kim and Hu met over lunch. Kim arrived earlier in the day by train.
Yonhap said the talks focused on how to end the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear arms program, China's food and energy assistance and the North's economic reforms.
Yonhap said Kim's visit was not reported either by the North Korean or the Chinese official media.
Kim was expected to stay in Beijing until Wednesday. He reportedly is accompanied by 40 senior North Korean officials.
China is trying to arrange the third round of the six-party nuclear talks. The second round held in Beijing in February ended without a breakthrough.
The six nations are North and South Korea, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
