A Japanese daily says North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will likely visit China early next month.

The Asahi Shimbun said Thursday that if Kim does visit China and holds a summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the two are expected to discuss Beijing's provision of political and economic aid and the resumption of the six-party nuclear talks.

The paper added that a series of recent visits to China by North Korean top officials seem to have been aimed at coordinating the agenda for a summit between Kim and Hu.

The daily said that attention is on whether Kim’s youngest son, Jong-un, will accompany the North Korean leader, should he head to China.