ALL investments that China have with North Korea’s free trade zone will push through, signaling a message to the international community that North Korea’s recent racket missile launch doesn’t bother Beijing at all.
China is considered as the lone major political and economic ally of North Korea that has been isolated in the international community due to its defiance to United Nation’s sanctions and other international treaties.
From the very beginning, China didn’t issue any direct condemnation nor outward support to North Korea’s racket missile launch that other countries, especially the U.S referred as a test of ballistic missile rather than plain racket aimed at sending satellites to the outer space.
In a report published by Reuters Friday, an official of Rason economic zone joint management office said all projects that were previously announced and were already in the pipeline before the racket launch will push as scheduled.
One of the projects that will continue is the power line from China that will address looming power shortages in North Korea or politically known as Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPKR).
“All the people of the management office are still here working as usual… If there is any major impact (from the nuclear test), do you think we would still be here?” an official from Rason was quoted as saying by the Reuters.
The Rason economic zone is located near the DPKR, China, and Russia.
“All works are proceeding as planned,” the official added in an interview with the Reuters.
The Rason economic zone was established jointly by the DPKR and China last year where 60 North Koreans and Chinese working at the management office. The economic zone’s main objective is to handle the planning, construction, and development of the zone which is also referred to as the Ranjin-Songbong and considered as one of the highest profile economic projects in DPKR.
North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February, drawing global condemnation and a stern warning from the United States that it was a threat and a provocation. Pyongyang’s latest test, its third since 2006, prompted warnings from Washington and others that more sanctions would be imposed on the isolated state..
“China has normal relations with North Korea. We will conduct normal trade and economic exchanges with North Korea,” Hua Chunying, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, told the Reuters when asked whether China would continue to work with North Korea to develop its special economic zones after the nuclear test.
“At the same time, China opposes North Korea’s nuclear test and its position on promoting denationalization of the Korean Peninsula is firm,” Hua added.