By Kim Young-gyo
HONG KONG, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- China is seeking to build an economic zone in the northeastern region bordering North Korea, aiming to promote trade with the world's most reclusive country, officials said Friday.

   Thirteen cities in the Dongbei region, commonly known as Manchuria, issued a joint proposal Thursday to build the "Yalu River Economic Zone" and to boost trade with North Korea. The Yalu River or the Amnok River in Korean is a river on the border between China and North Korea.

   The participating cities include Dandong, Dalian, Tonghua and Mudanjiang, all of which are located either in the Liaoning province, the Jilin province or the Heilongjiang province. The three provinces make up the Dongbei region.

   North Korea has long been reported as planning to build a free economic zone near the bordering river. A number of ports already exist on the river, used for border trade between the two countries.

   Dandong in Liaoning Province, which borders the North Korean city of Sinuiju, has become the largest logistics hub for North Korean trade, handling 70 percent of bilateral trade.

   Earlier in mid-May, a North Korean foreign ministry delegation visited the Chinese border cities for talks on building a new bridge over the river to connect the two countries.

   ygkim@yna.co.kr
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