Kim reportedly rolls into China

UN food aid to North Korea will run out at the end of next month, following a drop in international donations after the country detonated a nuclear device, the World Food Program told Bloomberg on Monday.

Clouded prospects

But analysts expect the visit will add new life to the now dormant nuclear disarmament talks hosted by Beijing and boycotted by Pyongyang in April 2009.

Kim's previous trip to China in 2000 was soon followed by a summit in Pyongyang with the South Korean government and the start of two major joint development projects in North Korea. Another visit in 2004 led to a push for talks on the North's nuclear programs.

Optimism has dimmed, however, amid suspicions that Pyongyang may be behind the sinking of South Korean warship Cheonan, after an unexplained explosion on March 26 killed 46 sailors, the Korea Times commented.

Seoul has so far not directly accused Pyongyang, which has denied responsibility. However, South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said his country will oppose resuming the nuclear ne-gotiations if Pyongyang is found to have been involved in the warship's sinking.

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak also raised the issue Friday in talks with President Hu in Shanghai.

"It's too early to make any judgment before the ongoing investigation is released," Lü said. "Even if the Six-Party Talks are further stalled by the incident, both Koreas are not willing to get involved in military conflicts. Negotiations will be the final solution."

Guo Qiang and agencies contributed to this story