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North Korean Dictator in China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il toured the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai on Wednesday after reportedly arriving on a direct flight from the North Korean capital in what would mark the reclusive ruler`s first overseas trip by plane, according to South Korea`s semiofficial news service. Kim reportedly fears flying, and news agencies in Japan and South Korea said earlier that he had arrived in China aboard his private, armored train.

Quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, South Korean news said Kim was on a three-day trip to China`s business hub, which he last visited in 2001. Kim reportedly fears flying, and news agencies in Japan and South Korea said earlier that he had arrived in China aboard his private, armored train.

If the reports are true, obervers say Kim`s visit could represent an effort to win China`s support for lifting economic sanctions imposed last year by the American government against several international - including North Korean - companies believed to have ties to illicit activities, including U.S. currency counterfeiting.