TOKYO, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- China will provide 500,000 tons of food and 250,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea following the death last month of former leader Kim Jong-il, a news report said Monday.

   The decision, which was made a day after the North announced Kim's sudden demise, is designed to help his son, new leader Kim Jong-un, stabilize the country, Japan's Tokyo Shimbun newspaper said, citing unidentified Chinese and North Korean sources.

   It is the first time after Kim's death that details of the Chinese aid plan have been made public, the newspaper said. The North has long relied on Chinese economic aid and diplomatic support.

   Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his late 20s, appears to be consolidating the power he inherited from his father. North Korean officials and troops have pledged their allegiance to the young leader, the supreme commander of the country's 1.1 million-strong military.

   There is speculation that the Chinese food aid could continue until April when the North will mark the centennial of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il-sung, grandfather of the new leader.

   Chinese officials were not immediately available for comment. Calls to the North Korean Embassy in Beijing seeking comment also went unanswered.

   North Korea has vowed to usher in a prosperous nation by the milestone anniversary. However, doubt remains over whether one of the poorest countries in the world can achieve its goal due to chronic food and power shortages.

   The Chinese leadership appears to have taken into account the North's need to ease its food shortages and induce public support, both of which are seen as crucial in keeping the Kim family dynasty.

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