{"id":4539,"date":"2020-04-20T17:41:18","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T08:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4539"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:01:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:01:10","slug":"postponement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/04\/recommendations\/postponement\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe Don\u2019t Want to Meet\u201d: Fearing Coronavirus Infection, China Rebuffs N. Korean Advances at the Border and Delays Resumption of Trade to Late-May"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A woman selling Chinese-made sausages on the streets in front of a downtown Pyongyang apartment building. Photographed in the Peony District in July 2011 by Koo Kwang-ho (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 No fertilizers imported for the farming season<\/h2>\n

The China-North Korea border has remained shut since late January, when North Korean authorities, in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus, completely sealed the border. This month, however, expectations for a resumption of trade have been growing, as North Korea\u2019s economic situation has become truly desperate.<\/p>\n

At time of writing, however, China has not allowed for trade to be resumed at the border. Chinese authorities are said to be concerned that, if trade is resumed, coronavirus infections could spread from North Korea into China.<\/p>\n

A trade broker living in the Chinese border region of Jilin Province spoke to ASIAPRESS on April 14, citing information from the Chinese customs authorities. He explained, \u201cTrade in Changbai, Dandong, etc is said to be resumed in late May at the earliest. This is subject to change, depending on the coronavirus situation. The authorities are wary of an influx of infections from North Korea after a large number of people returned from Russia with coronavirus.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Korea is in desperate need of imported fertilizer and other agricultural materials as it enters the farming season. According to the trade broker, however, \u201cChinese trading companies are not preparing any shipments of fertilizer or agricultural chemicals to North Korea at present.\u201d
\nNext page :North Korea eager to resume trade...<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 North Korea eager to resume trade<\/h2>\n

Despite this, there are growing expectations among North Koreans for trade to be resumed. This hope is born out of desperation, as the North Korean economy is failing to cope with the loss of vital Chinese imports and logistically paralyzed by the increasingly strict controls placed on domestic movement.<\/p>\n

Speaking with ASIAPRESS on April 13, a businessman living in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, said, \u201cAs the coronavirus situation in China had stabilized, there were huge expectations for trade to resume after April 15 (Kim Il-sung\u2019s birthday). Since April 6, private citizens and trading companies were busy preparing for the resumption of trade, collecting and buying medicinal herbs to be exported to China. We are now keenly aware of how much power China has over our own survival. If trade continues to be suspended, we are done for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The businessman did not, however, seem to be aware of the further delay in resuming trade.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 \u201cState-sponsored smuggling\u201d stopped, despite the huge impact of the prolonged border closure<\/h2>\n

What about smuggling? According to the Chinese trade broker, Chinese companies have been receiving many proposals for smuggling operations from North Korea\u2019s state agencies but the operations \u201chave been impossible to undertake as the security on the Chinese side is too tight.\u201d The trade broker continued, \u201cWe have to meet directly with North Korean counterparts to confirm the quantity and quality of goods but there are no vendors who are willing to meet with them because they are afraid of getting infected by the coronavirus.\u201d<\/p>\n

With China accounting for more than 90% of North Korea\u2019s trade, ordinary North Korean citizens as well as the Kim Jong-un regime are certain to be seriously affected if imports and exports remain suspended until the end of May.<\/p>\n

Citing sources in North Korea, the U.S.-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) also reported on April 13 that trade between North Korea and China is likely to be resumed in mid-May.<\/p>\n

In April, cargo trucks loaded with goods for North Korea were seen in Dandong, the largest trade zone along the Chinese-North Korean border. According to RFA, however, these trucks were loaded only with important supplies such as quarantine aid. (Kang Ji-won\/ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

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