![\"North](\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/170615-\ubd81\ud55c\ubc00\uc218\ud604\uc7a5-300x180.jpg\")
In its response, the Chinese also told North Korea that it had “no responsibility” for issues occurring in North Korea due to the halt of bilateral trade while pointing out that the closure of the border was a measure taken first by North Korea.<\/p>\n
The response did, however, state that Chinese authorities would not “take issue” with individual, small-scale smugglers.<\/p>\n
The wording of the Chinese response strongly suggests that Chinese authorities may turn a blind eye to small-scale smugglers, even while large-scale bilateral trade is still off the table.<\/p>\n
The Chinese response reportedly ended with a request to the North Koreans to “wait a little longer” for a restart in trade because the coronavirus situation has “started to calm down.”<\/p>\n
TAKEN BY SURPRISE<\/p>\n
North Korean authorities, for their part, have reportedly been taken aback by the Chinese response. They had expected bilateral trade would restart on Feb. 15, but are now facing an unexpected situation, Daily NK sources said.<\/p>\n
“After receiving the Chinese response, North Korean authorities handed down an order to state-run organizations that no smuggling between individuals would be permitted,” the Pyongyang-based source said.<\/p>\n
“They had looked forward to the restart of trade by Feb. 15 and this hard line measure shows how disappointed they were in the Chinese response,” he added.<\/p>\n
Smuggling generally refers to illegal trade between private entities, but in North Korea’s case smuggling activities involves state-run or WPK-run trading companies.<\/p>\n
State-run trading companies, including those operated by the WPK and Ministry of State Security (MSS), began to dominate smuggling over the border after the UN Security Council implemented stricter sanctions on North Korea in 2017.<\/p>\n
Individual, small-scale smugglers in North Korea are reportedly unhappy about the state’s dominance in bilateral smuggling activities because it takes away business from them.<\/p>\n