Conflict between China and North Korea over Mr. Yang Coming to Surface

Chinese authorities’ detaining of and putting under house arrest Yang Bin, top executive of the Sinuiju special administrative zone, will likely develop into a diplomatic conflict, Mingpao Newspaper, Hong Kong’s Chinese newspaper, reported on Oct. 6.

The newspaper cited sources as saying that Kim Jong-il, chairman of North Korea’s National Defense Commission, was surprised at the Chinese move and expressed discontent over China’s putting Mr. Yang under house arrest.

The newspaper added that on Oct. 5 right after Yang Bin was arrested, North Korea sent diplomats to China’s foreign ministry twice and they protested that China should have had consultation with Pyongyang because he was a senior North Korean official.

According to sources, however, China set up a special force made up of the Chinese State Council’s various departments to conduct large-scale investigations into illegal practices of Yang’s Euro-Asia group and Chinese officials involved in these.

There is a possibility that the diplomatic conflict between China and North Korea will be resolved because a North Korean delegation led by Yang Hyong-sop, vice chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, is scheduled to visit China during Oct. 15-19 at the invitation of the Chinese State Council and the National People’s Congress.

Yang Bin charged with illegal conversion of real estate and tax evasion was released 12 hours after Chinese officials arrested him on the early morning of Oct. 4 but he is now under house arrest in his villa in Shinnying, northeaster China.

yshwang@donga.com