From NK Zone:
DPRK/PRC border controls have been eased at an iron mine which a Chinese company now runs. Xinhua news agency reported that the border post at Sanhe in Jilin province was now open 12 hours a day instead of eight and a “green channel” had been introduced to reduce customs delays.
Sanhe is opposite the Hoeryong iron mine which is run by a Heilongjiang company under a deal signed in June. The report dated Oct 1 gave no further details of the agreement.
Hoeryong is about 70 km northeast of Musan, said to be North Korea’s largest iron mine, with which Tonghua Steel is planning to sign a seven billion yuan ($880 million), 50-year exploration deal. Chinese officials said last year an agreement would be signed soon but there has been no word of a deal being signed.
Michael Rank story here and the Nautilus Institute last month released two reports on Chinese-NK economic ties. Report and Presentation 1. Report 2.
