SEOUL, South Korea - A special train used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has arrived in a border town with China and he was likely to begin a visit to China within the next few days, a South Korean newspaper reported Tuesday.

The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper quoted an unidentified person in Beijing saying Kim's train has been staying in the northeastern border city of Shinuiju and there is a high possibility of Kim crossing the border within the next few days, possibly even later Tuesday.

The paper cited another person as saying a team of North Korean security officials had visited Beijing on August 25 to prepare security arrangements for Kim's trip.

Speculation of a possible trip by Kim to China has been rife in recent weeks, amid concerns that North Korea might be preparing to conduct a nuclear weapons test.

Last week, another South Korean paper reported that Kim's train was spotted traveling in China.

But on Sunday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported Kim visited a machine tool factory and chicken farm in North Korea, undercutting speculation that he might already be in China. KCNA didn't say when the North Korean leader visited the factory and the farm.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday that China planned to invite Kim to Beijing through its new ambassador who is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang this week.

Last week, China's Foreign Ministry denied reports of an imminent trip by Kim, saying, "At present, there are no arrangements for a visit." There was no immediate comment Tuesday from the ministry.

Kim rarely travels abroad, but has occasionally visited China or Russia, last traveling on a tour through several Chinese cities in January.

North Korea has claimed it has nuclear weapons, but hasn't performed any known test.

The North has stayed away from six-nation talks on its nuclear program since November in anger over a widening U.S. campaign to sever the regime's connections to outside banks due to its involvement in alleged counterfeiting and money laundering to sell weapons of mass destruction.