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The Chinese are trying to stage a comeback. Last month Peking announced a $105 million loan to North Korea and dispatched a high-powered military mission to Pyongyang to celebrate the tenth anniversary of China's entry into the Korean war. The loan will raise China's contribution to the North Korean economy to around $500 million v. $750 million from Russia. Last week Moscow riposted with an announcement that the Soviet Union has waived repayment by North Korea of one $190 million Russian loan, agreed to defer repayment of an-other $35 million.
Curiously enough, the mission's visit came just at the time when Khrushchev had been expected to make his first visit to North Korea, on his way home from his rambunctious visit to the U.N. But four weeks ago his trip was postponed or canceled without explanation.
*Not his real name. The real Kim II Sung was a Korean guerrilla who bravely fought the Japanese occupiers in the 1919 uprising. The Communist interloper who took over power in 1948 simply swiped his name.