Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun says North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s ultimate goal for his visit to China is to earn a promise from Beijing for more economic aid.

The Japanese daily said that the North Korean economy is growing fragile on the heels of a failed currency reform and that, as a result, Kim will focus on receiving economic aid from Beijing during his stay in China.

In return for economic aid, the paper expects China will pressure North Korea to make great concessions regarding Pyongyang’s demands for the removal of U.N. sanctions and negotiations for a peace treaty.

As preconditions for its return to the six-party nuclear talks, North Korea has demanded that U.N. sanctions be lifted and negotiations first be launched to discuss a peace treaty that will replace the Korean War armistice.

There was speculation that the North Korean leader may visit China sometime in the middle of this month.