China will send half a million tons of food aid to North Korea this year, an insider in North Korea revealed on Sunday, according to The Dong-a Ilbo.

"Chinese officials confirmed that Beijing decided to aid 500,000 tons of food to North Korea within this year. We witnessed 20-ton trucks transporting corns to North Korea early this month on the border between North Korea and China," the source said.

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The large-scale food aid also includes higher crude oil supply and trade volumes, Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported. According to The Dong-a Ilbo, it is believed that China is starting to ease its sanctions on North Korea following South Korea's decision to deploy the US' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system and the pressure Beijing is facing from the international community over the South China Sea dispute.

In March, the UN Security Council barred the supply of jet fuels to North Korea, which recently launched nuclear missiles; however, China allegedly continued to supply the communist nation, albeit in smaller quantities. China has been criticized for such action, as it failed to carry out its duties as a permanent member of the international council.

North Korea's food aid from Beijing was reportedly decided on June 1 after the North's Workers' Party Vice Chairman Ri Su Yong and his delegation paid a visit to China's leader President Xi Jinping. The team reportedly delivered a letter wrote by Kim Jong Un, and Ri requested one million tons of food, but President Xi committed to provide 500,000 tons.

TagsNorth Korea, china, Beijing, Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un