North Korea-China Duty-Free Trade Zone Opens Near Dandong But Appears To Be A Ghost Town As Hardly Anyone Shows Up

by Czarelli Tuason / Oct 29, 2015 11:24 PM EDT

Liu Yunshan presents a signed letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kim Jong Un. ( Photo by Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images)

On Thursday, the duty-free trade zone of North Korea and China opened in the Chinese city of Dandong near both countries' border, but only a very few people came to visit, noted The Chosun Ilbo on Friday.

The zone will offer tariff cuts of up to 8,000 yuan or 1.48 million won each day for North Koreans and Chinese residing within 20 kilometers from the city of Dandong.

"Dandong will emerge as a logistics hub in Northeast Asia based on North Korea-China trade," said Dandong Mayor Shi Jian. "I hope Dandong will serve as a departure point for a new Silk Road."

However, there were hardly any North Koreans seen visiting the 24,000 square-meter trade zone, with a total investment of one billion yuan that is said to house hundreds of shops. According to administrative official Duanmu Haijian, North Korean businesses are not expected to move into the zone until April of next year and that only 40 to 50 businesses were granted permission by the North Korean and Chinese authorities to operate this early.

Fulton County News reported on Thursday that Mayor Shi Jian acknowledged at the duty-free trade zone launch ceremony that the project will be "significantly meaningful" for both countries' bilateral relations, in line with Chinese President Xi Jinping's letter to North Korean President Kim Jong Un last week.

Meanwhile, the fourth North Korea-China economic, trade, cultural and tourism fair that opened near Dandong on the same day as the duty-free trade zone was visited by many consumers.

Around 100 stalls were set up by 400 North Koreans selling tobacco, liquor, food, machine parts, clothes and minerals. The North also prepared a booth with a signboard that said "Korea welcomes you!" with photos of regime founder Kim Il Sung and former leader Kim Jong Il.

The official opening ceremony for both duty-free trade zone and the North Korea-China economic, trade, cultural and tourism fair was held in Dandong, which is accessible to North Korea via the new Apnok river bridge.