◆ China shifts to a strict crackdown on smuggling
In early October, Reporting Partner A described the latest smuggling situation as follows:
“Things are a lot different from before. There don’t seem to be any particular problems in relations with China, but I heard the smuggling points have become surveillance zones and the Chinese side has newly installed surveillance cameras. The public security crackdown is so severe that nobody can make a move.
Every time there’s smuggling, there are incidents, people get arrested, and vehicles and smuggled goods are frequently confiscated. Even on October 5, when (vehicle) parts were coming in, they got caught by the Border Defense Force (border guards), and (the Chinese traders) were all arrested, I heard. They say bribes don’t work anymore either. You can assume that almost nothing is coming in through ‘state smuggling’ from the Changbai side now.”
In other words, the Chinese side, which had previously looked the other way, no longer tolerates any smuggling at all.
◆ What is China’s aim in openly violating sanctions?
While China has shut down vehicle smuggling, it is permitting “official” trade that violates sanctions. What lies behind this seemingly contradictory shift in policy?
One factor is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought North Korea and Russia closer than ever before, and Russia’s sanctions violations, including the transport of military supplies, have become an open secret. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, both Russia and China are naturally obligated to implement the sanctions. But amid sweeping changes in international relations and strengthening ties among North Korea, China and Russia, China appears to have moved on its own to partially ease the sanctions.
New developments also appear to be emerging between North Korea and China on mineral resource exports, the curbing of which under the strengthened 2017 sanctions dealt a heavy blow to the North Korean economy. This will be reported separately.
※ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
