From Asahi Shimbun:

China is flush with cash but hungry for resources, while North Korea is economically destitute but rich in mineral deposits. It seems like a perfect match.

Investment in the repressive North by Chinese companies jumped from a paltry 10.4 million yuan (148 million yen) in 2003 to 1.36 billion yuan (19.4 billion yen) in 2004, according to an analysis of media reports by the Seoul-based Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.