Chinese Border Town North Koreas Lifeline Slug: China Dandong Trade Date: 25/07/2012 Reporter: Lam Li INTRO:

China provides more than 80 per ent o! "orth #orea$s !oreign trade % and most o! that goes through the &order it' o! Dandong( "orth #orea might &e poor) *ith a per apita in ome under 2)000 +S dollars &ut the ru ial &order trade is helping ma,e Dandong ri h( Lam Li visits the it' to !ind out more( TEXT: S-. 1/ argo tru ,s rossing &ridge 01D +"D1R Cargo tru ,s rum&le a ross the -riendship 0ridge that lin,s "orth #orea and China) arr'ing goods &a , and !orth over the &order( The &ridge spans the 2alu River *hi h divides the t*o ountries( Dandong it'$s on the Chinese side) and Shinui3u on the opposite &an, % lin,ed &' &ridges) high*a's and a rail*a'( S-. 1/ argo tru ,s rossing &ridge Dandong is China$s trading hu& *ith "orth #orea % some 704 o! all Chinese e5ports to its neigh&our pass through the it'( 6! 'ou *ant to ma,e a &usiness deal *ith "orth #orea) all the e5perts are here( 7ang 2uangang has &een doing 3ust that !or 10 'ears no*( 8e$s the 9anaging Dire tor o! Dandong -rontier Cit' Trading Compan') *hi h sells spare parts !or heav' vehi les( The' also have an automo&ile manu!a turing plant in :'ong'ang( 7ang 2uangang/CL6: 1 ;9<L1) C86"1S1= >There are endless produ ts !rom China entering "orth #orea( 6ndustrial goods !orm the &ul, o! the argo( <s "orth #orea$s under an e onomi em&argo !rom the +nited States) it !a es all ,ind o! shortages)

in luding in ele tri it') and that a!!e ts industrial development( So the ountr' needs man' supplies !rom us( <part !rom ma hiner' and industrial produ ts) these in lude ommon dail' ne essities li,e !ood) lothing) and household goods) *hi h are also in demand(? < ording to Chinese Customs statisti s) trade &et*een the t*o ountries 3umped &' more than @04 last 'ear alone( That totalled 5(@ &illion +S dollars A *ith Dandong reaping the &ene!its( SFX 2_ al! Ri"er wa"es la##in$ on shore Standing &' the 2alu River) Dandong is China$s largest &order it'( Bver 804 o! the trade through here goes to "orth #orea) &ut it also does &usiness *ith South #orea) Capan) and the +nited States( < ording to the it'$s !oreign trade department) the lo al government organiDes t*o annual trade e5hi&ition tours to "orth #orea) in spring and autumn( :arti ipants on these trips no* regularl' num&er several hundred Chinese &usinessmen( This B to&er) Dandong *ill also hold the !irst ChinaA"orth #orea 15po) overing e onomi ) ultural) and tourism themes( 6t$s all part o! the it'$s e!!orts to onsolidate its role as the entre !or "orth #orean trade( S-. E/am&ien e at &usinessA a!e 01D +"D1R This is one o! the 7esternAst'le a!Fs that have mushroomed a ross the it' over the last !e* 'ears( 6nside it is !illed *ith the aroma o! &re*ed o!!ee) live piano musi % and people ma,ing &usiness deals( S-. E/am&ien e at &usinessA a!e +: <G<6" % *ith piano The deals range !rom real estate) to importing goods) to sour ing ontra t *or,ers( Dandong traders o!ten a t as >middlemen? to &ro,er deals !or outsiders *ho *ant to esta&lish onta ts in "orth #orea(

7ang 2uangang has led a num&er o! trips into "orth #orea to s out !or &usiness( 7ang 2uangang/CL6: 2 ;9<L1) C86"1S1= >-or the past 'ears) "orth #orea has pra ti ed a H losed door$ poli ' to*ards the outside *orld) and it remains ver' m'sterious( 9an' people are interested in doing &usiness there) &ut it$s di!!i ult to enter *ithout the ,no*Aho* or the right onta ts( 6t$s hard even !or Chinese !rom outside Dandong to gain a ess) and even harder !or !oreigners( So) man' !oreigners and Chinese !rom other provin es ome to us !or help( 6 have &ro,ered deals !or man' !oreigners) &la ,) *hite) or South 1ast <sians li,e Singaporeans and 9ala'sians(? S-. I/Street tra!!i sound 01D +"D1R Dandong isn$t 3ust a&out &u'ing and selling goods % the &order trade has also !uelled the lo al servi es industr'( Do*nto*n and along the river !ront) are lines o! hotels) entertainment entres) restaurants) and souvenir shops( The' ater to lo als) &usiness travelers % and even tourists( The part' runs until late in the night here % &ut in "orth #orea) 3ust a ross the river and the reason !or all this prosperit') it$s lights out and pit h dar, a!ter 8 p(m( S-. 5/souvernir shop &lasting "# !ol, song < souvenir shop &' the river !ront &lasts #orean !ol, songs at !ull volume( "orth #orea$s m'ster' is a strong attra tion % &ut *ith the ountr' still losed) Dandong$s as lose as most people an get( <nd that &rings the tourists( Last 'ear) Dandong hosted around 2@ million domesti tourists and I00 thousand !oreign visitors % *hi h translates to some I(E &illion +S dollars !or the lo al e onom'( E2A'ear old Liu 2i o*ns t*o small !amil'Arun motels( 8e invested a&out eight' thousand +S dollars to start up his &usiness % and he$s a&out to &rea, even a!ter 3ust t*o 'ears( 8e sa's Dandong$s su ess isn$t onl' &e ause it$s geographi all' lose to "orth #orea( Cultural and language onne tions also pla' a &ig role(

Liu 2i/CL6: 1 ;9<L1) C86"1S1= >This area has a large Chinese #orean ethni minorit'( There are also man' "orth and South #oreans *ho have &een living here !or a long period o! time !or &usiness( -or me) summer is the high season) *hile &usiness is slo* in *inter( 6n summer) *e have more tourists( 6n *inter) ustomers ome on &usiness trips( 6 have some "orth #orean ustomers oming !or &order trade) &ut not that man'(? S-. @/am&ien e at a "orth #orean -ood Restaurant #im o*ns the >:'ong'ang 0ar&e ue? restaurant do*nto*n % she$s a mem&er o! China$s minorit' Chosun ommunit') a #orean ethni group( She sa's her 10A'earAold restaurant dou&les as an o!!i e !or "orth #orean trade deals % *hi h also dra* on the language and ultural lin,s she shares a ross the &order( #im/CL6: 1 ;-19<L1) C86"1S1= >6 opened this restaurant to maintain relations !or &order trade( 6 travel to "orth #orea !reJuentl') and 6 also provide translation servi es !or Chinese and "orth #orean &usinesses( This restaurant is li,e an o!!i e) &ut sometimes the restaurant itsel! pro&a&l' ma,es &etter mone' than trade) &e ause trading is hitAandAmiss) &ut the restaurant is al*a's here to *el ome ustomers( 6ts pro!it is more relia&le(? #im sa's her ustomers are mainl' "orth and South #orean &usinessmen) *ho usuall' ome !or dinner) *hile tourists ome during the da'( <nd out o! all o! them) "orth #orean ustomers spend the most( #im/CL6: 2 ;-19<L1) C86"1S1= >This is onl' a small restaurant) so on average the' spend I0A@0 +S dollars per person( 0ut at &igger restaurants the &ill usuall' runs to over E00 +S dollars( +suall' the "orth #oreans are paid !or &' their Chinese &usiness ounterparts( 0ut generall') the "orth #oreans *ho ome to Dandong !or &usiness are ri h( :eople al*a's sa' "orth #orea is poor) &ut not all o! them are( Bnl' the ommon people are poor(? -or <sia Calling) this is Lam Li reporting !rom Dandong) China(