North Korea and China vow to strengthen cooperation on their border

Name: North Korean schools boost Covid-19 prevention measures despite ‘no confirmed cases’
Uploaded: 2021-08-31T07:46:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 18 s
Description: North Korean schools boost Covid-19 prevention measures despite ‘no confirmed cases’

Zhao Kezhi, the Chinese public security minister, meets North Korean ambassador Ri Ryong-nam in Beijing

Both express willingness to work together and enhance communication, the Chinese statement says

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China and North Korea are separated by the Yalu River. Photo: AFP

Laura Zhouin Beijing

Published: 3:46pm, 31 Aug 2021Updated: 4:27pm, 31 Aug 2021

China and North Korea said they would step up cooperation to maintain security and stability on their border, after the Chinese public security minister met North Korea’s top envoy in Beijing.

Zhao Kezhi told North Korean ambassador Ri Ryong-nam on Monday that China was willing to work closely with its neighbour and strengthen strategic communication to “maintain, consolidate and develop the traditional friendship” between the two countries, the Chinese public security ministry said in a brief statement.

Ri said that North Korea was also keen to enhance communication and coordination with China while deepening pragmatic cooperation, the Chinese statement said.

Sharing a border of nearly 1,350km (834 miles), China and North Korea are divided by the Yalu River, Paektu Mountain and the Tumen River.

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North Korean schools boost Covid-19 prevention measures despite ‘no confirmed cases’

North Korea was among the first countries that closed its border with China when the coronavirus was first discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Since then, some of the strictest lockdowns have been imposed in the self-isolated country, further encumbering its economy with its trade – about 90 per cent of which is with China – largely disrupted.

According to Chinese customs data, Chinese shipments to North Korea rose to US$16.8 million in July from US$12.3 million in June. That was still less than 10 per cent of the total shipments made in July 2019, months before the pandemic.