North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has reportedly met with top Chinese government officials at a hotel in the northeastern Chinese city of Changchun in Jilin Province on Friday.

Sources said Saturday that Kim is likely to have held summit talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, citing that Hu, who had been on leave in northeastern China, reportedly arrived in Changchun in time for Kim’s arrival in the city.

Sources added that eight buses carrying an opera troupe were spotted leaving the hotel where Kim is staying at around nine-thirty in the evening, raising the possibility that Kim and senior Chinese officials held a dinner meeting and watched a performance together.

However, reports that Kim is being accompanied by his third son and heir-apparent, Jong-un, have yet to be confirmed.

Observers say Kim is expected to return home as early as Saturday aboard his private train after passing through Dandong or Ji’an or he may return home by passing through Tumen in order to inspect China’s project to develop Changchung, Jilin and Tumen.