[00:00.10]From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.60]this is the Economics Report.
[00:06.09]Recent Chinese trade information
[00:09.07]shows that China's exports to North Korea
[00:12.76]decreased by more than 30 percent
[00:16.00]during the first six months of 2013.
[00:20.52]This is the first time in four years
[00:24.26]that exports have fallen.
[00:26.80]Exports decreased by about $1.6 billion
[00:32.42]from January to June,
[00:34.91]compared to the same period last year.
[00:38.20]The last time exports from China
[00:41.78]to North Korea dropped was in 2009,
[00:45.66]because of the world financial crisis.
[00:49.29]This year, there was a large decrease
[00:53.13]in shipments of unprocessed oil to North Korea.
[00:57.66]Lu Chao studies at the Liaoning
[01:01.89]Academy of Social Sciences,
[01:03.93]based on government data,
[01:06.86]he says China is the biggest oil provider to North Korea.
[01:12.44]He said last year China exported
[01:16.06]500,000 tons of oil to the country.
[01:20.00]Mr Lu says China place trade restrictions
[01:28.56]on North Korea this year, after its third nuclear test.
[01:33.74]He says the Chinese government made the decision
[01:38.02]based on a U.N. Security Council resolution.
[01:43.14]North Korea's decision to carry out
[01:46.58]its third nuclear test earlier this year
[01:49.91]has affected the relationship between the two countries.
[01:54.99]Following the test, Chinese students called on
[01:59.66]the government to completely cut ties with North Korea.
[02:04.19]protesters denouncing what they felt
[02:07.92]was Chinese government acceptance of a nuclear test.
[02:13.54]However, Chinese officials have condemned the test.
[02:18.02]They have also repeatedly called
[02:20.55]for the continuation of six-nation talks
[02:24.14]aimed at ending the country's nuclear weapons program.
[02:28.92]In May, the government operated People's Bank of China
[02:34.14]announced it was no longer doing business
[02:37.18]with North Korea's foreign trade bank.
[02:40.55]Last week, China's Vice President Li Yuanchao
[02:46.43]visited North Korea for the first time
[02:49.57]since Kim Jong Un became North Korea's leader.
[02:54.59]The two were seen together, smiling
[02:57.63]and waving to crowds during ceremonies
[03:01.01]marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
[03:06.44]Mr Lu says, although the Vice President visited North Korea,
[03:12.31]relations between the two countries are still developing.
[03:16.99]He says the old alliance is now turning into
[03:21.47]a normal friendly relationship between two countries.
[03:26.10]Recently, officials from the United States and South Korea met.
[03:31.82]They announced their plan to continue
[03:34.91]placing restrictions on North Korea,
[03:37.60]and to seek more assistance from China in the process.
[03:43.28]And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English.