Why the Tumen River border could test relations between China, Russia and North Korea

Using the waterway to reach the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, is a ‘dream’ for China but neighbours fear they could lose out by opening it up

Reading Time:4 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

The rail bridge linking Russia and North Korea is a major barrier to larger ships. Photo: Wikipedia

Shi Jiangtao

Published: 10:00pm, 13 Jul 2024Updated: 8:50pm, 15 Jul 2024

Corrected [8:48pm, 15 Jul, 2024]

[8:48pm, 15 Jul, 2024]
The subheading has been amended to reflect the fact that the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, is known by different names in different countries.

China has been trying to persuade Russia and North Korea to open a stretch of the Tumen River to Chinese cargo shipping for decades, a step that would provide direct access to the sea from the landlocked northeastern province of Jilin.

Although its hopes may have been raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments following his recent visits to Beijing and Pyongyang the issue could still test the strength of the three-way relations.

Despite their close ties with Beijing, both Russia and North Korea still have reservations about allowing Chinese shipping – especially its navy – access to a key waterway while some analysts believe Beijing may be wary about getting too close to the pair for fear of further harming its relations with the West.

In a joint statement issued after Putin’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, the pair agreed to hold a “constructive dialogue” with North Korea about letting Chinese ships sail through the lower Tumen River to the Sea of Japan, or East Sea.

The three countries were expected to talk about this “soon”, Nikkei Asia reported last month, citing unnamed sources.

The river forms part of North Korea’s border with both of its neighbours, but a 17km (10½-mile) stretch along the Russian border is largely unnavigable for freight vessels because of a Soviet-era railway bridge linking the two sides.