Russia, China and North Korea will soon begin negotiations to allow Chinese ships to pass through the border Tumen River in the Sea of Japan. This was reported by NEXTA TV, citing The Moscow Times and Nikkei Asia.
The Tumen River flows along the border of China, North Korea and Russia and flows into the Sea of Japan. Chinese ships can now move freely along the river only up to the village of Fangchuan and cannot go out to sea, as they need permission from Russia and North Korea to pass the remaining 15 km stretch. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, after their meeting in May, included a paragraph in their joint statement about Russia and China engaging in “constructive dialogue” with North Korea over the Tumen River.
Previously, Russia did not support this Chinese initiative, fearing that in this way Beijing would increase its influence in Northeast Asia. However, amid sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is becoming increasingly dependent on the Chinese side, notes The Moscow Times.