Deadline arrives for DPRK biz in China to close down

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‍Tuesday marks the deadline for DRPK businesses in China to close down following a 120-day notice issued by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce last year in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution.

In Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, a CGTN crew was not welcomed by waitresses at a renowned DPRK restaurant when they tried to film outside the venue. The staff might not be in the city much longer, as all DPRK companies operating in the country are required to cease business.

Lv Chao, an expert on Korean studies from the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. /CGTN Photo

Lv Chao, an expert on Korean studies from the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said he was told by DPRK diplomats he recently met that China has been strict in imposing sanctions on their country. He said they were acting helplessly when discussing the issue of the business closure.

Away from Shenyang, the Sino-DPRK friendship bridge in the border city of Dandong was closed down for 10 days last month for repair work. The bridge has re-opened for service, but it is no longer the bustling gateway for cross-border trade it used to be, as a result of the sanctions.

The Sino-DPRK friendship bridge in the border city of Dandong. /CGTN Photo

"The situation has only gotten worse. Cross-border trade has been hampered significantly by the UN sanctions. Trade involving coal, minerals, and heavy machinery, is struggling the most. The types of businesses allowed are very limited. Many businesses related to the DPRK can hardly get by," Lv told CGTN.

The UN resolutions passed in December and September last year both aim at limiting Pyongyang’s access to key sources of energy and foreign currency earnings in order to force it back to the negotiating table.

Lv believed that some impacts of the sanctions could already be felt, with the ensuing effect touching not just DPRK businesses, but also its society.

A DPRK restaurant in Dandong. /CGTN Photo

The DPRK relies on China for its industrial and agricultural development, and China is its biggest trading partner. The closure of DPRK businesses in the country is similar to a " dead end" for its foreign currency earnings, as Lv put it.