China says no notice from North Korea on border reopening

BEIJING: China on Tuesday said it had not received official notice from Pyongyang that North Korea was opening its borders to foreigners.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV had reported Monday, citing a reporter, that North Korea would allow foreign nationals to enter after more than three years of isolation because of the Covid pandemic.

But the foreign ministry in Beijing said Tuesday it had not heard from Pyongyang about such a decision.

“At present, the Chinese side has not received notification through diplomatic channels from the North Korean side on… opening its border,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing.

The CCTV report said the move had been announced by North Korean authorities, but offered no further information about its sourcing.

North Korea is yet to officially announce any border reopening to foreigners.

It has, however, shown signs of a reopening this month, with leader Kim Jong Un travelling to Russia and North Korean athletes travelling to China for the Asian Games.