Asahi: "China to Strengthen Covert Support for North Korea This Year... Large Amounts of Fertilizer Added to Food Aid"

"China to Provide North Korea with 500,000-600,000 Tons of Food and 550,000 Tons of Fertilizer This Year"
Considering Typhoon Damage, Additional Food Aid Under Review... "Support Scale Unprecedented"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 3rd, China has strengthened its covert support by providing large amounts of food and fertilizer to North Korea since the beginning of this year.

Asahi cited several government officials, reporting that the food China has supplied to North Korea this year amounts to 500,000 to 600,000 tons, and fertilizer reaches 550,000 tons. According to several Chinese officials familiar with North Korean affairs, the food sent by the Chinese government to North Korea from June to August was 600,000 tons of grains such as corn, and Asahi stated that China is considering supplying an additional 200,000 tons after North Korea, which suffered typhoon damage, requested more food last month.

A Chinese government agency official familiar with North Korean agriculture estimated that based on the sowing stage, North Korea's food harvest this year will be about 3.5 to 3.8 million tons, with a shortage of about 1.5 million tons. A former high-ranking North Korean official explained that the North Korean authorities formulate policies by converting 1 ton of fertilizer into 10 tons of food, saying, "This fertilizer is equivalent to 5.5 million tons in terms of food, which exceeds the annual food production, so the scale of support is unprecedented."

China's food support to North Korea declined around 2013 when relations between the two sides worsened due to North Korea's repeated nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, but it became active again from 2018 when North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un visited China and relations were restored. Asahi also reported that an agreement on food support was reached when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea in June last year.

Asahi conveyed a statement from a former high-ranking North Korean official that at that time, President Xi told Chairman Kim, "I will stake everything to help Joseon (North Korea)." Although food support to North Korea falls under humanitarian grounds and does not violate UN sanctions, Asahi added that the Chinese government has not disclosed the details of the support last year and this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.