hankyoreh

China and North Korea have agreed to create a trade center in the border town of Namyang, Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province, on the North Korean side of the border along the Tumen River, China’s state China National Radio reported Wednesday.

According to the report, the two countries began discussions on establishing a special location for direct trade last March, and a final agreement was reached at the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang between the North Korean authorities responsible and the consulate general. The agreement has already been approved by China’s State Council as well as Chinese customs and commerce authorities.

The trade center will be North Korea’s third with China’s Jilin province. Onsong County borders Jilin along the city of Tumen. Each side is connected with rail and bridge links, making transportation more advantageous than other regions.
Historically, Onsong has played an important role in the area, as it has frequently been a focal point of trade between the North and China, Russia, and Japan. Since 1950, China has developed Tumen and allowed nationals of third countries to cross the border there, provided they are carrying official travel documents.

Jilin province hopes that with the establishment of a new trade center in Namyang, North Korea, Chinese cities in the Tumen River Basin such as Tumen, Yanji, and Longjing will be able to benefit from technology from Japanese and South Korean companies seeking to establish manufacturing export plants in the area.