In Chinese border city, locals hope North Korea opens up
时间:2024-09-23 14:26:46 来源:泸州新闻网
Pedestrians walk by the entrance of "Koryo street," a commercial area that used to house many businesses engaged in trade with North Korea, in the Chinese city of Dandong bordering North Korea in northeastern China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 23. Over the past few decades, North Korea has receded into irrelevance as the contrast with China has grown starker. Many Chinese now regard North Korea as a curious relic of the past, and Dandong does a roaring trade in tourism centered on China's neighbour across the water. AP |
When a green-and-yellow train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rolled slowly over a bridge into the Chinese city of Dandong late Saturday, few locals took notice.
''I didn't really know much about it,'' a 79-year-old retired farmer who gave only his surname, Shi, said Sunday, pausing during a walk along the river Kim crossed on his way to Vietnam to meet President Donald Trump for their second summit.
Over the past few decades, North Korea has receded into irrelevance as the contrast with China has grown starker and starker. Many Chinese now regard North Korea as a curious relic of the past, and Dandong does a roaring trade in tourism centered on China's neighbor across the water.
Street vendors hawk binoculars, boat tours and booklets of North Korean currency during the day, while digital billboards light towering apartments at night. Sinuiju, less than a kilometer (half a mile) away across the Yalu River, lays silent, with few signs of activity among its motionless cranes, marooned ships and squat, unlit apartments.
But some in this border city of over 2 million expect that if North Korea opens up, they will be among the first to benefit.
''Dandong is the biggest border city in China,'' said Liu Yujun, a former trader from Dandong who says real estate prices have been going up in anticipation of detente on the Korean Peninsula. ''Their economy could pull Dandong up along with it. If they open up, then we can invest a lot into their economy.''
China's economy is facing its worst slowdown since the global financial crisis amid a bruising trade war with the United States. Strict U.N. sanctions on North Korea have hit Dandong's traders and shippers hard in the past few years, with some cutting employees or pivoting toward other businesses, a former freight company executive told The Associated Press.
But the sudden thaw in tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the past year has raised anticipation that the sanctions may soon be eased. Investors rushed in to snap up apartments, prompting Dandong's government to enact new regulations on real estate last May. On the North Korean side of the river, a tall, round concrete building is under construction _ a rare sign of development.
Shi believes if North Korea follows China's lead by reforming its economy and opening up to trade, it could boom. He thinks the reason why North Korea struggled while China surged ahead was because of Pyongyang's overemphasis on military spending.
''They put so much effort into missiles and nuclear weapons research,'' Shi said. ''If they didn't focus on this research so much, they might not be so backward.''
In his upcoming meeting with Trump in Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday, experts say Kim will seek a U.S. commitment for improved bilateral relations and partial sanctions relief while trying to minimize any concessions on his nuclear facilities and weapons.
While Kim wants to leverage his nuclear and missile program for economic and security benefits, there continue to be doubts on whether he's ready to fully deal away an arsenal that he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival.
But Xiao Yue, a food seller in Dandong, doesn't care too much about the politicking that will take place in Vietnam. She simply wishes that one day, she'll be able to mingle freely with North Koreans.
''It'd help us communicate, culturally and on other levels,'' Xiao said. ''I just hope they can come over here and have some fun.'' (AP)
上一篇:Which is Faster for Gaming, Windows 10 or Windows 11?
下一篇:12 Places that Celebrate Women in Science
下一篇:12 Places that Celebrate Women in Science
相关内容
- ·The Apple iPod: Pocket Music Before That Phone
- ·顺性养育挖潜能 寓教于乐护童真
- ·县级干部集中“充电” 学习省第十一次党代会精神
- ·雅安市商业银行姚桥新区支行迁址开业
- ·Bernie Sanders’ DNC speech sounded like everyone else’s. That’s astonishing.
- ·“2017中国避暑名山排名”出炉 蒙顶山榜上有名
- ·作答“百千万”,汕尾发表“薯”名文章底气何在?
- ·汽车清洁不能只顾外表 这几个内饰最易被忽视
- ·Best CPU Deals, AMD vs Intel: Holiday CPU Buying Guide
- ·徒步旅行好风景 悠闲骑游环雅安
- ·广东省首届最美非遗人物公布!新会陈皮炮制技艺省级非遗传承人陈柏忠入选
- ·打造我市首座一站式国际家居生活主题购物中心
- ·Ruling bloc divided on foreign nannies' pay
- ·人才管理“放管服” 进一步激发人才活力
- ·抗性粉虱难防,为什么广东真格有绝招?
- ·扩散|把握机会,连州直播大赛寻找下一个直播明星!
最新内容
- ·Anatomy of a Keyboard
- ·延期至2月23日!“振兴乡村 不负青春”首届摄影、短视频大赛@你来赛
- ·顺性养育挖潜能 寓教于乐护童真
- ·创新晏场高台艺术 省级“非遗”发“新芽”
- ·16 of the Most Epic Sandwiches Around the Planet
- ·冠军最高2748公斤/亩 !2023年荔枝龙眼园高产竞赛结果揭晓
- ·作答“百千万”,汕尾发表“薯”名文章底气何在?
- ·尔滨,广东不只有“小土豆”!
- ·Webb telescope just snapped image of huge black hole gobbling material
- ·货车超限比例从30%降到1.3%
推荐内容
热点内容
- ·GPU Mining is Dead, Where are my Cheap GPUs?
- ·我市颁发首个台湾居民个体工商户营业执照
- ·雅安1065处重点区域防汛责任人就位
- ·促进“党建+绿美”,广东规划建设100条南粤红绿径
- ·Google Gemini now allows AI
- ·银行卡余额不翼而飞 网银安全不容忽视
- ·垂钓者掉入深谷河滩 公安消防民兵齐营救
- ·激动人心的时刻到啦!雅安第一封高考录取通知书驾到!
- ·U.S. Senators call on FTC to investigate the security of drivers' data
- ·创新晏场高台艺术 省级“非遗”发“新芽”