y**k
发帖数: 72 | 1 因为质量差，朝鲜人已越来越不喜欢中国产品！
PYONGYANG/SEOUL:From carrot-flavoured toothpaste and charcoal facemasks to
motorcycles and solar panels, visitors to North Korea say they are seeing
more and more locally made products in the isolated country's shops and
supermarkets, replacing mostly Chinese imports.
As the Trump administration considers tougher economic sanctions to push the
isolated country towards dismantling its weapons programmes, North Korea is
pursuing a dual strategy of developing both its military and economy.
The majority of consumer products in North Korea still come from China. But
under leader Kim Jong Un, there's been an attempt to sell more domestically
made goods, to avoid any outflow of currency and to reinforce the national
ideology of juche, or self-reliance, visiting businessmen say. There is no
available data to show how much is being produced domestically. Export data
from countries like China and Malaysia, which sell consumer goods to North
Korea, may not be an accurate reflection.
China's commerce ministry declined to comment when asked whether China's
exports to North Korea were decreasing due to an increase in locally-made
products. Visitors say that with the impetus from the top, large North
Korean companies like military-controlled Air Koryo, the operator of the
national airline, and the Naegohyang conglomerate have diversified into
manufacturing consumer goods including cigarettes and sports clothing.
North Korea is one of the most insular countries in the world and visits by
foreigners are highly regulated. A Reuters team that was in the capital
Pyongyang last month was allowed to go to a grocery store, accompanied by
government minders, where shelves were filled with locally made drinks,
biscuits and other basic food items. Other visitors have seen locally made
canned goods, coffee, liquor, toothpaste, cosmetics, soap, bicycles and
other goods on sale in the city.
"As new factories open, the branding, packaging and ingredients of our food
products have improved," said shop assistant Rhee Kyong-sook, 33. Kim Chul-
ung, a 39-year old physical education teacher visiting the store, said: "I
can taste real fruit in the drinks that are made in North Korea, compared to
drinks from other countries."
Visitors say locally made consumer goods are becoming increasingly
sophisticated and QR or matrix barcodes can been found on a wide range of
products from make-up to soft drinks. Market vendors are also becoming more
competitive, offering samples of their food to shoppers, something they didn
't do five years ago. "Around 2013, Kim Jong Un started talking about the
need for import substitution," said Andray Abrahamian of Choson Exchange, a
Singapore-based group that trains North Koreans in business skills. "There
was clearly recognition that too many products were being imported from
China, not just high-end consumer goods but also lower-end ones like food."
Air Koryo's range of products now includes cigarettes, fizzy drinks, taxis
and petrol stations. "Naegohyang", or "My Homeland", began as a Pyongyang-
based tobacco factory, but has expanded in recent years to produce playing
cards, electronic goods and sports clothing. The company even sponsors a
women's football team of the same name. The North Korean companies were not
available for comment and do not publish revenue or profit statements. It
was not possible to identify any joint venture partners. Traders and retail
experts said the North Korean market was attractive, thanks to a growing
class of "donju", or "masters of money," who generate wealth in a grey
market economy that is being increasingly recognised and controlled by the
state. "The North Koreans increasingly don't want Chinese products because
they think they are poor quality," said a trader from Southeast Asia who
exports consumer goods to North Korea. The trader did not want to be
identified.
China has been rocked by a number of food safety scandals in recent years,
including contaminated rice and milk powder. "Mothers in North Korea are no
different to mothers in China or Canada, they want to feed their babies the
best possible food," said Michael Spavor of Paektu Exchange, which brings
delegations of investors, tourists and academics into North Korea. |
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