China reports more North Korean ships engaged in cross-border trade

BEIJING (AFP) Dec 09, 2003
Despite an ongoing crisis over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, shipping trade between the North and its closest ally and neighbor China has risen sharply this year, state media said Tuesday.

In the first 10 months of this year, 56 North Korean vessels were involved in border trade, 18.5 times more than the same period last year, the Xinhua news agency said.

Cross-border trade between the two countries is conducted mostly aboard ships anchored on the lower reaches of the Yalu River, which separates the two countries.

Trade is also conducted at Dandong, a border town in northeast China's Liaoning province and Sinuiju, a border town on the Korean side.

In the past, most of the vessels were from China, but this year, the number of North Korean ships, mostly with a capacity of 500 tons or less, has increased significantly, Xinhua said.

This has promoted the shipping business in Dandong, totaling 45,138 tons in the first 10 months of this year, according to Xinhua.

WAR.WIRE