[베이징-AP통신/] 북한총리가 26일(월) 중국의 경제지원을 논의하기 위해 중국방문 길에 올랐다. 또한 북한의 핵 프로그램 종결을 논의하는 새로운 회담들을 격려하고자 하는 중국정부의 노력 가운데 이루어진 것으로 보인다.

북한 최영림은 후진타오 국가주석과 원자바오 수상과 같은 중국의 최고위급 지도자들을 만나기로 예정되어 있다.

그의 방중 계획을 살펴보면 우선 북한에 인접하기도 하지만 훨씬 더 긴밀하게 중국을 감싸안는 접경지역들의 개발에 관한 협정들에 조인을 마친 후에 그의 모든 방문일정들이 뒤를 이을 것이다.

중국 정부는 그러한 프로젝트들이 북한 경제를 안정시키고, 북한이 평화적으로 그 지역에 안착하는 데에 도움이 되기를 희망하고 있다.

한편 중국은 현재 북한 대외무역에서 57%를 차지하고 있는데, 이와 대조적으로 한국은 (한국 통일부에 의하면) 북한 대외무역에서 차지하는 비중이 지난해 31%로 떨어졌다.

(이하 신화통신 원문,  참조)

BEIJING (AP) — North Korea's premier was in China on Monday for a visit that highlights Pyongyang's economic dependence on its giant neighbor and comes amid efforts by Beijing to encourage new talks on ending the North's nuclear programs.

Prime Minister Choe Yong Rim was scheduled to meet with top Chinese officials including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. His trip follows the signing of agreements on development zones along their b　　　order that bind the North ever more closely to China.

Beijing hopes such projects will help stabilize North Korea's economy and prompt Pyongyang to engage peacefully with the region.

China now accounts for 57 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, while South Korea saw its share sink to 31 percent last year, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

North Korea's relations with China have grown in proportion to its alienation from South Korea, which last year suffered deadly attacks on a navy ship and an island near the border with the North that Pyongyang has refused to apologize for. The North denies it was responsible for the attack on the navy ship, and says it fired on the island in defense.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has made frequent visits to China and during a trip in August reportedly suggested the North could be open to halting nuclear production and testing if international talks on the program resume.

China has sponsored the long-stalled negotiations, which also involve the U.S., Russia, Japan and the two Koreas. The talks aim to end the North's atomic programs in exchange for economic and diplomatic support.

North Korea is believed to have enough weaponized plutonium for at least six atomic bombs, and is believed to be working toward mounting a nuclear bomb on a long-range missile.

Last year, it unveiled a uranium enrichment facility that could give it a second way to make nuclear weapons.