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Chinese Premier Wen in North Korea

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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in North Korea Sunday on a highly anticipated state visit.

China's official Xinhua news agency said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il greeted Mr. Wen at Pyongyang's airport.

Mr. Wen's 3-day visit comes amid signs the North may be willing to restart dialogue about its nuclear program, following months of resistance.

Mr. Kim has expressed a willingness to engage in bilateral and multilateral talks, although it is not clear if that indicates a willingness to rejoin six-nation talks with China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the United States.

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Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said in Seoul that North Korea has recently shown that it understands the value of re-engagement.

China is the North's biggest source of economic aid and diplomatic support, and Mr. Wen's visit could be key to pushing the resumption of the six-nation talks.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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