WHAT ABOUT CHINESE Travelers?
Despite earlier studies that claimed a Taiwanese tour operator had started accepting licenses, Chinese authorities have still not given their members the green light to enter North Korea.
During a typical press conference, a representative from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on “activities of certain go companies.”
Before the pandemic, Chinese citizens made up the vast majority of foreign visitors to North Korea. 2019 saw a record high of 350, 000 Foreign customers.
But, the Russia-Ukraine conflict that broke out in 2022 has caused tensions between Beijing and Pyongyang. China has been making an effort to project a neutral position on the war, while North Korean forces have been dispatched to assist Russia’s invasion.
Experts said they think Chinese tourists will have significant economic benefits for North Korea, but they see many obstacles in the way.
” For the past nearly two decades, the relationship between China and North Korea has deteriorated … There hasn’t been any sort of positive sign to getting closer between these two states, because however, you see North Korea and Russia, they maintain quite near cooperation”, said Park Won Gon, a teacher in Ehwa Womans University’s Department of North Korean Research.
He noted that Donald Trump, the president of the United States, also sworn in last month.
” The US and China relationship is completely dependent.” If the relationship deteriorates, China has more motivation and more reason to consider North Korea as their important asset”, Park added.
” But we need to consider ( the fact ) that North Korea is very different from 2018 and 2019,” he said. They no longer desire a positive relationship with the United States and even the Western world.