Kim Jong Un’s dependence on China grows as virus hits economy

But a report published this month by the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think-tank, found that a network of 150 Chinese businesses had a central role in facilitating North Korean access to international markets. It said they were involved in about $2.7bn worth of shipments between 2014 and 2017, representing about 20 per cent of the $13.9bn value of North Korea’s trade during that period.