First train to Pyongyang in six years leaves ChinaReuters, BEIJINGThe first passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang was to resume yesterday, ending a six-year gap, as China moves to shore up cross-border infrastructure and rebuild ties with its neighbor. China and North Korea are “friendly neighbors” and a cross-border passenger train service facilitates people-to-people exchanges, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told reporters. A man holds a banner reading “Beijing-Pyongyang” in front of the K27 train bound for Pyongyang at Beijing Railway Station yesterday. A person takes pictures of a board with a sign for the K27 train bound for Pyongyang as passengers wait at the Beijing Railway Station yesterday. It signaled greater access to “the largest trading nation on Earth” for North Korea, while it was also important for China’s “periphery diplomacy,” Lim said.

Source: Taipei Times March 12, 2026 17:43 UTC