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China and North Korea Resume Cross-Border Passenger Train Service After Six Years
The Beijing-Pyongyang train resumes after six years, operating four times weekly to boost bilateral ties and trade, with daily Dandong-Pyongyang service for diplomats and businesspeople.
- On March 12, 2026, China Railway restarted passenger services between Beijing Railway Station, Beijing, and Pyongyang, North Korea, ending a six-year suspension since 2020.
- Framed as part of 're‑normalisation,' China’s foreign ministry said on March 10 that the route aims to facilitate travel, trade, and cultural exchanges following September talks between Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping.
- Following an overnight run, Train K27 will stop at Tianjin, port city, and Dandong, Chinese border city, before border clearance at Dandong and Sinuiju, North Korea.
- Service notices indicate the route will operate, with tickets restricted to diplomats and businesspeople; the Beijing–Pyongyang route runs four days a week, and tickets for March 12 sold out, while March 18 remains available.
- Experts cautioned that the move may signal re‑normalisation, noting China is North Korea's largest trading partner and Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian said 'A lot of the previous limit on contact seems to be due to Pyongyang's apprehensions about broader contact, which have diminished'.
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China-North Korea train arrives in Pyongyang after 6-year pause
A passenger train from China arrived in the North Korean capital on Thursday, state media said, after a six-year hiatus since the service was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. A man holds a banner reading “Beijing-Pyongyang” onboard the K27 train bound for Pyongyang at Beijing Railway Station in Beijing on March 12, 2026. Photo: Adek Berry/AFP. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and po…
·Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources62
Leaning Left11Leaning Right12Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Center
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources are Center
38% Center
L 30%
C 38%
R 32%
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