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Northeast China expects N.Korea to open up
By Ma Jingjing in Dandong Source:Global Times Published: 2018/5/8 16:58:40
Region would be revitalized, benefitting local trade, tourism industry
People in Northeast China are looking forward to North Korea's opening-up in the wake of the meeting between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea, saying the entire region longs for stimulation for economic boom.
"The 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou [capital of East China's Zhejiang Province] boosted the region's economy, and the 2017 BRIC Summit held in Xiamen [in East China's Fujian Province] created the same effect for the region. So why can't Northeast China benefit from such big international events? Once North Korea opens up, the region's economy will break out," a bank clerk in charge of loan transactions at a commercial bank in Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Like the bank clerk, who only gave his surname as Wang, many in Dandong expect North Korea to open up to the outside world, an opportunity that would help revitalize Northeast China, as well as Northeast Asia.
"Some said Dandong may become a prosperous city like Shenzhen [in South China's Guangdong Province], which I think is possible. Once North Korea opens up, Dandong, and even the whole of Northeast China, will no longer be a dead-end alley," Guan Hongzhi, manager of the technology inspection department at ZXRAY Technology Co, told the Global Times.
"If North Korea agrees that the new Yalu River bridge should open to traffic, trade exchange will be more frequent, which then will drive the [area's] tourism sector… As its future development needs machinery equipment, we can export products to North Korea," he said.
The bridge - linking Dandong's New City area and the North Korean city of Sinuiju - was completed in 2014, but has not yet been put into use.
Benefiting from their geographical locations, cities bordering North Korea, like Dandong, Baishan and Yanbian, are set to see their tourism sector prosper.
In Dandong, numerous travel agencies can been seen on the streets selling yacht tours to the North Korean border and four-day tour packages inside North Korea.
Near the scenic spot of the Yalu River Broken Bridge, which once linked Dandong and Sinuiju, lots of shops and vendors sell North Korea-made goods like liquor, cigar and commemorative banknotes.
"The city's overall economic situation has shown improvement trends since North Korea's denuclearization pledge. I think the tourism sector will boom after North Korea's opening-up," a tour guide surnamed Bai told the Global Times on Friday.
According to data from Dandong's local statistics department, the number of tourists traveling to the city increased 12.9 percent year-on-year in 2017, with total tourism revenue growing at the same pace, although exact figures are not available.
Many Chinese are interested in North Korea, Wang said, noting that "lots of homeowners of places that overlook the Yalu River have telescopes in their rooms, used for looking out to Sinuiju across the river."
Weighing up the possibilities
Many interviewed by the Global Times said they believe North Korea will certainly open up, and that it's just a matter of time.
"A source from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea told me that during the meeting between North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April, Moon gave a USB flash disk to Kim, which contained information about Moon's advice for North Korea's opening-up," a Dandong civil servant, who prefers to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"To be specific, some of that information was about developing North Korea's west coast economic zone and attracting international investment, as well as building a high-speed railway line linking Dalian in Liaoning Province, North Korea's Rajin and South Korea's North Chungcheong Province," the source said.
The source's words were backed by a report of South Korean newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily on May 2, which said that the USB contained materials about Moon's so-called "New Economic Map" initiative.
The road map is based on three economic belts on the Korean Peninsula and connects them with China and Russia, it said.
Although North Korea has not yet opened up, quite a few North Koreans have come to Northeast China to seek better opportunities.
"One time, I went with a client to investigate his company's credit. When I stepped through the door, I was shocked there was a room full of North Koreans. They were busily designing animation on computers for firms in Beijing and Shanghai. If I had not witnessed this, I would not have believed we have such North Korean talent in Dandong," said Wang, the bank clerk.
"Around 2004, when it was said that North Korea would open up, lots of businesspeople from Shenzhen came to Dandong for opportunities. But this phenomenon has not been noticed recently," a Dandong-based economic observer said.
By Ma Jingjing in Dandong Source:Global Times Published: 2018/5/8 16:58:40
Region would be revitalized, benefitting local trade, tourism industry
People in Northeast China are looking forward to North Korea's opening-up in the wake of the meeting between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea, saying the entire region longs for stimulation for economic boom.
"The 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou [capital of East China's Zhejiang Province] boosted the region's economy, and the 2017 BRIC Summit held in Xiamen [in East China's Fujian Province] created the same effect for the region. So why can't Northeast China benefit from such big international events? Once North Korea opens up, the region's economy will break out," a bank clerk in charge of loan transactions at a commercial bank in Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Like the bank clerk, who only gave his surname as Wang, many in Dandong expect North Korea to open up to the outside world, an opportunity that would help revitalize Northeast China, as well as Northeast Asia.
"Some said Dandong may become a prosperous city like Shenzhen [in South China's Guangdong Province], which I think is possible. Once North Korea opens up, Dandong, and even the whole of Northeast China, will no longer be a dead-end alley," Guan Hongzhi, manager of the technology inspection department at ZXRAY Technology Co, told the Global Times.
"If North Korea agrees that the new Yalu River bridge should open to traffic, trade exchange will be more frequent, which then will drive the [area's] tourism sector… As its future development needs machinery equipment, we can export products to North Korea," he said.
The bridge - linking Dandong's New City area and the North Korean city of Sinuiju - was completed in 2014, but has not yet been put into use.
Benefiting from their geographical locations, cities bordering North Korea, like Dandong, Baishan and Yanbian, are set to see their tourism sector prosper.
In Dandong, numerous travel agencies can been seen on the streets selling yacht tours to the North Korean border and four-day tour packages inside North Korea.
Near the scenic spot of the Yalu River Broken Bridge, which once linked Dandong and Sinuiju, lots of shops and vendors sell North Korea-made goods like liquor, cigar and commemorative banknotes.
"The city's overall economic situation has shown improvement trends since North Korea's denuclearization pledge. I think the tourism sector will boom after North Korea's opening-up," a tour guide surnamed Bai told the Global Times on Friday.
According to data from Dandong's local statistics department, the number of tourists traveling to the city increased 12.9 percent year-on-year in 2017, with total tourism revenue growing at the same pace, although exact figures are not available.
Many Chinese are interested in North Korea, Wang said, noting that "lots of homeowners of places that overlook the Yalu River have telescopes in their rooms, used for looking out to Sinuiju across the river."
Weighing up the possibilities
Many interviewed by the Global Times said they believe North Korea will certainly open up, and that it's just a matter of time.
"A source from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea told me that during the meeting between North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April, Moon gave a USB flash disk to Kim, which contained information about Moon's advice for North Korea's opening-up," a Dandong civil servant, who prefers to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"To be specific, some of that information was about developing North Korea's west coast economic zone and attracting international investment, as well as building a high-speed railway line linking Dalian in Liaoning Province, North Korea's Rajin and South Korea's North Chungcheong Province," the source said.
The source's words were backed by a report of South Korean newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily on May 2, which said that the USB contained materials about Moon's so-called "New Economic Map" initiative.
The road map is based on three economic belts on the Korean Peninsula and connects them with China and Russia, it said.
Although North Korea has not yet opened up, quite a few North Koreans have come to Northeast China to seek better opportunities.
"One time, I went with a client to investigate his company's credit. When I stepped through the door, I was shocked there was a room full of North Koreans. They were busily designing animation on computers for firms in Beijing and Shanghai. If I had not witnessed this, I would not have believed we have such North Korean talent in Dandong," said Wang, the bank clerk.
"Around 2004, when it was said that North Korea would open up, lots of businesspeople from Shenzhen came to Dandong for opportunities. But this phenomenon has not been noticed recently," a Dandong-based economic observer said.
