North Korean heir apparent Kim Jong-un appears poised to visit China later this month, Japanese media said Tuesday. The move would be seen as Beijing's full acceptance of the succession underway in Pyongyang.

The Sankei Shimbun quoted sources as saying the sides are finalizing plans for Kim to make the trip shortly after China wraps up its National People's Congress on March 14 and meet with President Hu Jintao as well as Vice President Xi Jinping, Hu's reported successor.

The trip, which has been rumored for months, would come amid signs that the North has accelerated the succession process from leader Kim Jong-il to Jong-un, his youngest son who is thought to be no older than 29. China is the North's main economic and political benefactor.

"Such a trip would allow the Chinese to introduce Jong-un to its current and future leadership and set up solid cooperation between the countries after the succession is completed," Yoo Ho-yeol, an expert at Korea University, said.

The visit could also take place after April 15, when the North celebrates the birthday of country founder Kim Il-sung, the paper said.
It would be the junior Kim's first known trip abroad since he was tapped in September last year for high military and party posts, formalizing him as heir, and mirror a similar trip taken by his father in 1980.

Professor Yoo said Beijing would likely provide Kim with gifts, in the form of badly-needed economic and food aid, to bring home ahead of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung that falls next year.

"China's message to the North, meanwhile, would be to follow some part of its model of opening and reform while maintaining the communist party," Yoo said. He added that Beijing could gingerly push the leader-in-waiting to make denuclearization efforts.