China halts freight trains to North Korea after Covid spike in border town
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China has suspended freight trains to North Korea, in a bid to contain Covid-19 in the border town of Dandong.&nbsp;</p>
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In tune with its zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19, the Chinese have already brought Dandong&nbsp; under strict lockdown.</p>
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But its controversial offensive against Coronavirus has gone to a new level&mdash;of stopping freight trains from the town to Sinuiju, a North Korean town. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that the decision to halt freight services was taken &ldquo;in light of the current epidemic situation in Dandong.&rdquo;</p>
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The Dandong city government on Monday ordered all residents to swiftly return home and stay there to stem the spread of the virus.</p>
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Unlike many other countries, which are steadily dropping travel and other restrictions, the Chinese are combating Covid-19 with a&nbsp; combination of lockdowns, mass testing and closing down of borders<br />
China&rsquo;s decision is likely to badly hurt an already fragile economy of North Korea&mdash;a country that is on edge and showing fresh signs of moving towards weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.&nbsp; Pyongyang recently tested an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the first long range test since 2017.</p>
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Industrial production is down and construction materials to back leader Kim Jong Un&rsquo;s ambitious development plans are likely to take a big hit.</p>
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<strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/north-korean-icbm-test-invites-us-sanctions-brings-japan-and-south-korea-closer-159575.html">North Korean ICBM test invites US sanctions, brings Japan and South Korea closer.</a></p>
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