From the Daily NK:
The deputy director of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province recently said he plans to “establish permanent trade relation with North Korea and pursue multinational tourism projects which connects China-North Korea-Russia through Tumen River Area Development Project”. He also said, “the government of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture will more actively pursue cooperation with North Korea during the 11th Five-Year Plan(2006~2010)”.
The Korean Autonomous Prefecture decided to establish 2 level highway between Rajin, North Korea and Yuanzheng maritime customs, Hunchun, China and to reconstruct the tailway between Rajin and Onsung in North Hamkyung Province.
Lee Yong Nam at Department of Trade in North Korea said, “economic trade between North Korea-China is improving with the attention of leaders in each country. Intimate economic cooperation will be maintained by all means possible”.
China gained exclusive right to use and develop Rajin port in North Korea, as compensation for establishment of high way in Wonjung-Rajin in North Hamkyung Province. China was excused from all the custom formalities of labor and equipments related to the establishment and development of highway and port, from which they saved 4 million Yuan per year.
Through the trading zone between North Korea-China in Tumen River area, China plans to export food, fertilizers, electronics, textile, plastic goods, cigarrete, mechanical devices. Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture had 11 million 430 thousand dollars trade surplus from trade with North Korea in the first half of last year. A government official at the local government said, “trade surplus will increase drastically when the trading zone between North Korea- China is established” with excitement.
