hankyoreh

Dec. 23

North Korea and China have reportedly agreed to from a management committee to jointly develop the Hwanggeum Plain of the North Korean cities of Nason and Shinuiju. As inter-Korean relations head toward a crisis situation due to the sinking of the Cheonan, China and North Korea have pushed economic cooperation at a fast pace. The two countries agreed upon economic cooperation during North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s visit to China in May.

A North Korea-related source with knowledge of the discussions that wished to remain anonymous said Wednesday that a party led by North Korea’s vice minister of trade visited Beijing last week. The party agreed to form a join development management committee to jointly develop with China the Hwanggeum Plain of Nason (Najin-Sonbong) and Shinuiju. He said that the two officials in charge would be the North Korean vice minister of trade and the Chinese vice minister of commerce.

This indicates that Chinese investment in Najin Port and the Hwanggeum Plain will be carried out systematically through the joint committee, a government body, rather than through development companies. The source also said that North Korea and China plan to rapidly push the development of Nason and Shinuiju based on the joint committee that runs Kaesong.

The source said China and North Korea are considering plans to invest in the region on a 50-50 or 51-49 basis, and Chinese firms that are considering investing are scheduled to visit the region shortly for inspection. China also reportedly agreed to provide the power for the region.

One diplomatic source in Beijing said despite the Cheonan incident, North Korean and Chinese officials are visiting one another’s countries to hold concentrated discussions on economic cooperation. He said it appears, with North Korea in a situation in which it has no choice but to depend on China, that the matters agreed upon during Kim Jong-il’s visit to China are being pushed quickly.

Meanwhile, an official delegation from China’s Jilin Province, led by Vice Governor Chen Weigen, visited Pyongyang Tuesday and met with new Deputy Prime Minister Ri Tae-nam to explain matters pertaining to the development of China’s Changchun-Jilin-Tumen River Valley region and exchange views on the matters agreed upon by the two nations’ leaders during Kim Jong-il’s visit.

A forty-member North Korean Workers Party delegation, led by Minister of Land and Environmental Protection Kim Chang-ryong, is also currently on visit to China. Chinese state-run media reported that they visited the Binhai New Area region of Tianjin, a city visited by Kim Jong-il during his trip to China.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]