China – DPRK tourism and trade stats
Visits: According to the Daily NK, 116,400 North Koreans have visited China this year:
116,400 North Koreans visited China officially between January and September, 2011, according to new statistics released by the National Tourism Administration of China.
The statistics reveal that 55,000 of them visited to find work; 27,000 for a business trip; 3,000 were tourists; and 100 were visiting relatives. 24,000 did not record the purpose of their visit.
45,000 of them traveled by boat; 24,900 by airplane; 14,300 by train and 3,700 entered on foot.
The largest proportion was between the ages of 45 and 64 (52,000); 47,000 were between 24 and 44. 95,000 were men, and 14,900 were women.
According to the same statistics, the highest number of visitors to China in the same period came from South Korea (3.2 million trips), followed by Japan (2.6 million trips). Overall, North Korea ranks 11th out of the 15 countries in Asia.
Trade: According to the Associated Press:
China’s trade with its close ally North Korea nearly doubled in the first seven months of the year compared with the same period in 2010, state media reported Sunday.
The 87 percent increase to $3.1 billion was announced at the start of a visit to the North by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang that reaffirms strong ties between the communist neighbors.
…
North Korea relies heavily on China for food and fuel aid and many consumer products. Chinese companies are the main investors in North Korean mining, and the sides recently signed agreements on road building and jointly developing an industrial park on an island near the Chinese city of Dandong.
“The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has shown great potential, with bilateral trade and investment volume reaching new highs,” Xinhua said, citing the Chinese ambassador to Pyongyang, Liu Hongcai.
Bilateral trade between China and North Korea still is dwarfed by economic ties between China and South Korea. China is South Korea’s largest trade partner.
Trade between Beijing and Seoul rose more than 20 percent in the first eight months of the year to $159 billion and is expected to hit about $250 billion for all of 2011.
It should go without saying that officially reported merchandise trade between the PRC and DPRK understates the economic relationship between the two nations. What goes unreported is illicit border trade, aid, military assistance and other forms of financial support.
Read the full stories here:
China says trade with NKorea has nearly doubled
Associated Press
2011-10-22
