On September 3, this year, China held a massive military parade, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was invited to attend, for the first time demonstrating on multilateral diplomatic occasions.

Less than a month later, China's trade in the DPRK came with remarkable news.

According to Reuters, China's exports to North Korea in September saw a double-digit increase after exports to North Korea fell for the first time this year.

According to the data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, China's exports to North Korea reached 228 million US dollars in September, an increase of 30.75% year-on-year.

For North Korea, this "happy news" is of great significance.

As a smaller economic country, the economic gap between North Korea and South Korea is obvious.

Under the heavy sanctions of the international community, North Korea's economic development has long been facing difficulties, foreign exchange reserves are tense, and there is a shortage of civilian livelihoods.

From the perspective of specific trade content, China's exports are mainly concentrated in the field of people's livelihood, including textile, shoe and clothing products, agricultural and sideline products, food, plastic/rubber products, etc.

These commodities are directly related to the quality of life of the Korean people.

North Korea's exports to China are mainly wigs and related products. In addition, North Korea has also exported some mineral resources to China, such as tungsten-molybdenum ore and silicite ore. It can be seen that the trade relations between the two countries are obviously complementary.

However, the growth of China-North Korea trade is not without resistance. The United Nations sanctions policy against North Korea strictly restricts the flow of sensitive goods such as weapons and energy, but the exemption clause for goods in the field of people's livelihood provides a certain legal basis for China-North Korea economic and trade cooperation.

China has always adhered to this principle in cooperation with North Korea, ensuring that exports of goods do not involve prohibited goods, and at the same time mitigating economic pressure on North Korea through trade in people's livelihoods.

However, this behavior has also sparked criticism from Western countries that China¡¯s measures have weakened the effect of sanctions and even tried to force China to reduce its support for North Korea through public opinion pressure.

Kim Jong-un's visit to China has also injected new vitality into bilateral relations.

As the first multilateral diplomatic occasion attended by a North Korean leader, this move conveyed a positive signal that North Korea improved its relations with China. China's high-standard reception also shows the importance it attaches to North Korea.

The rapid growth of trade data is a direct reflection of the warming of relations between the two countries. For North Korea, China is not only its largest trading partner, but also one of the few countries in the international community willing to cooperate with it.

In the future, the potential of China-DPRK trade is still huge.

China can help North Korea solve food problems through agricultural technology support, while deepening cooperation in areas such as infrastructure construction and mineral resource development.

However, the pressure of international sanctions and the slow progress of North Korea¡¯s own economic reforms remain potential challenges to cooperation.

The surge in trade between China and the DPRK is not only a reflection of economic cooperation, but also a reflection of the international political game.

This phenomenon will have a profound impact on the geopolitical pattern of Northeast Asia. The direction of bilateral relations and the reaction of the international community, the answers to these questions deserve our continued attention.