web counter
LEXO PA REKLAMA!

SHKARKO APP

App Store
Google Play

China resumes direct flights to North Korea after six years

2026-03-30 15:05:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

China resumes direct flights to North Korea after six years

Air China resumed direct flights to North Korea on Monday, marking a significant step toward reopening the isolated country after strict border closures due to the pandemic. The move follows the resumption of rail services between Beijing and Pyongyang and is considered a key economic and diplomatic moment for Pyongyang.

Air and rail links between the two capitals had been suspended since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The resumption of these services comes after North Korea's national carrier, Air Koryo, had resumed flights to Beijing in 2023, also allowing visits by Russian tourists in 2024.

For decades, China has been North Korea's main trading partner and main source of diplomatic support, with Chinese visitors accounting for about 90% of foreign tourists before the pandemic. The resumption of regular travel is expected to boost the economy and international relations of the country of 26 million people.

Regional experts say the reopening of borders shows Pyongyang is setting its own pace, despite tensions over its nuclear and missile programs. Diplomatic normalization was highlighted last year when leader Kim Jong Un attended a military parade in Beijing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lim Eul-chul of South Korea's Kyungnam University adds that regional developments, including the war in Iran, increase the need for closer coordination between Beijing and Pyongyang.

This resumption of flights marks an important step towards North Korea's return to the international transport and economic network./ CNA





Lajmet e fundit nga