China, North Korea Suspend Rail Freight Services Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases - Beijing

Sumaira FH Published April 29, 2022 | 06:06 PM

China and North Korea have temporarily suspended cross-border freight train services via the Sinuiju-Dandong checkpoint amid a surge in COVID-19 cases on the Chinese side, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2022) China and North Korea have temporarily suspended cross-border freight train services via the Sinuiju-Dandong checkpoint amid a surge in COVID-19 cases on the Chinese side, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday.

"Following the epidemiological situation in Dandong, after friendly consultations China and North Korea have decided to temporarily suspend railroad freight services via the Sinuiju-Dandong checkpoint," Zhao told a briefing.

China has been facing a new surge in COVID-19 cases since early March, prompting Beijing to enforce lockdowns in several regions.

Dandong recorder a new spike in late April, with some 220 people getting infected over the week.

In March 2021, the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea adopted a law on mandatory disinfection of all imported goods. In order to reverse border shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pyongyang launched the construction of a disinfection facility for cargo transport along the Sinuiju-Dandong border crossing between China and North Korea, and some smaller facilities at other checkpoints along the border.