CHINA: China-North Korea cross-border trade strained as diplomacy continues this week on Pyongyang's nuclear test

As efforts on the diplomatic front continue to persuade North Korea to rejoin negotiations on its nuclear programme, businessmen in the Chinese border city of Dandong say cross-border trade has been strained with Pyongyang's recent nuclear test. Convoys of trucks continued to arrive in Dandong on Tuesday (October 24) as they do every day from Sinuiju in North Korea despite North Korea's nuclear test on October 9 and the international community agreeing on sanctions for the isolated country. Shan Jie, chief executive of the Dandong Federal Business Company, a consultancy that often does business with North Korea says that his business has been affected ever since the test. "Due to North Korea's nuclear test, the order for us to go there to survey a new project has not been given till today. So for the big business environment, we are affected. But for small businesses, they are not very much affected. For example, our business with North Korea for building materials and paper is still in operation," he said. At the border bridge, Chinese and North Korean trucks are queue outside shops, ready to cross for commercial business. Shan, who has much experience dealing with North Korean businessmen say they never talk politics with him. "We have been doing business with North Korea for many years. Our personal experience with the North Korean businessmen is that they are very professional. They only talk about trade and never about politics. This is perhaps because of the special structure of their country, so we understand that and we don't talk politics with them but just trade," he said. Intense diplomacy last week has left world capitals unsure if North Korea will conduct a second nuclear test or return to stalled six-country talks. Diplomatic efforts will continue this week as U.N. Secretary General-designate Ban Ki-moon is set to visit China on Friday (October 27) for talks on ending the nuclear weapons programme and accelerating moves by U.N. members to sanction Pyongyang for conducting a nuclear test. Ban's trip to China will be in his capacity as foreign minister, one of the officials said.

ITN Source | October 24, 2006

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