Coyner’s Comment:
While technically these free trade zones are officially meant to bring North Korea into greater commerce with the rest of the world, these industrial zones are certain to be dominated if not monopolized by Chinese investment. I have long shared Rodger Baker’s suspicion that China is slowly and steadily absorbing North Korea at least economically.
And that leads us to what I have long ago noted as the richest of possible ironies: the creators and proponents of Juche could very well go down into history as being the useful idiots who sold out their country to China as part of their desperate maneuvering to stay in power.
North Korean Free Trade Zones
Rodger Baker
Stratfor.com
June 10, 2011
Vice President of Strategic Intelligence Rodger Baker discusses the implications of the recently announced free trade zones in North Korea near the Chinese border.