China sells millions of masks, vaccines to North Korea

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China sells millions of masks, vaccines to North Korea

Trade data released by Beijing shows that North Korea imported millions of face masks, 1,000 ventilators, and possibly vaccines from China in the months before it acknowledged its first official COVID 19 outbreak.

Two weeks ago, state media revealed the outbreak, fuelling concerns about a lack of vaccine, medical supplies and food shortages. The North had begun stocking up before that announcement, according to Chinese data.

North Korea is not known to have conducted a significant COVID 19 vaccine campaign. According to the data released this month, China exported $311,126 worth of unidentified vaccines to its neighbour in February. China reported no other vaccine exports to North Korea this year, or all of last year.

From January to April, the North bought more than 10.6 million masks from China, having bought none in December 2021, the last month for which data is available.

In the last four months, China exported more than 33 times more than the total amount of 2021, more than 33 times.

In April, China exported 1,000 non-invasive ventilators to North Korea, worth $266,891, as well as laboratory supplies that could be used in COVID- 19 test kits. Other medical imports included rubber gloves and protective clothing.

In April, China exported $98.1 million to North Korea, the highest since January 2020, when the figure was $186.8 million.

North Korea has shut its borders to almost all trade for most of the pandemic, but recently allowed a trickle of supplies and products into the country on trains and ships from China.

Three aircraft from North Korea's Air Koryo arrived in China last week and returned to Pyongyang last week with medical supplies, a diplomatic source said.