Kim Jong Il meets Chinese official

PYONGYANG - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who is reported to be ill, met a senior Chinese official here Friday, officials said.

Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Thursday met Kim Yong II, the North Korean prime minister.

The Chinese official arrived here Wednesday at the invitation of the ruling Worker’s Party of Korea.

There has been speculation in recent months about the health of the 66-year-old reclusive North Korean leader. South Korean intelligence officers believe that he has suffered a stroke.