[asia-apec 1708] Mainland to back any Pyongyang bid to join Apec forum

[Aaron James]

http://www.hk-imail.com/inews/public/article_v.cfm?articleid=15654&intcatid=2

HK I-Mail
Sat 20 Jan

Mainland to back any Pyongyang bid to join Apec forum
Agencies


THE mainland said yesterday it would support any request by North Korea to 
attend this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum in 
Shanghai.
``If the North Korean side raises the question and other countries think 
that this question is worth discussing, then our attitude will be 
positive,'' foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said.
Mr Zhu again refused to confirm the presence of North Korean leader Kim 
Jong Il on the mainland, even though the reclusive leader was seen visiting 
Shanghai's stock exchange yesterday. Mr Kim has also visited a 
joint-venture General Motors car factory.
The visit to the GM factory is the first direct contact with American 
capitalism for Mr Kim, whose intensely secretive Stalinist regime is 
formally at war with the United States. Accompanied by Premier Zhu Rongji 
and an entourage of 80, Mr Kim spent 30 minutes on Wednesday at the 
factory, part of a US$1.5 billion (HK$11.7 billion) venture 50per 
cent-owned by GM. They toured the assembly line that makes a luxury Buick 
sedan.
The visit to the stock exchange came in the morning.
Escorted by senior managers of the exchange, the North Korean leader went 
to the observation deck overlooking the trading floor, two employees at the 
exchange told reporters later.
19 January 2001 / 09:05 PM