China ramps up electricity imports from North Korea, Russia, Myanmar in bid to ease power crisis
- Imports of electricity from North Korea increased by 62 per cent in September compared with the same period last year
- China’s power crunch has already had an impact on the economy and has raised concerns ahead of the winter heating season
China has ramped up its electricity imports from North Korea, Russia and Myanmar amid its worst power shortage in decades, customs data shows, although the increases do not offer an immediate solution to the nationwide crisis.
Imports from North Korea increased by 62 per cent to 35,974 megawatt-hours (MWh) in September compared with the same period last year and by 37 per cent year on year to 291 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the first three quarters of 2021.
September’s imports were valued at US$1.5 million, while China spent US$11.9 million on electricity imports from North Korea in the first three quarters of the year.
United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea in 2017 have placed limited certain exports from the country, including coal, iron ore, food and agricultural products, but the electricity trade is not restricted.
According to a 2013 research paper from the Northeast Electric Power University, China’s imported electricity from North Korea is transmitted via Dandong, a prefecture-level border city in Liaoning province.