China commerce ministry says unaware of any North Korea delegation visit

China’s commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said on Thursday he was unaware of any North Korean economic delegation visiting China this week.

Two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters earlier this week that a delegation would arrive in Beijing to discuss food supplies and trade issues as the coronavirus outbreak has severely disrupted North Korea’s food supply. The delegation was scheduled to meet with Chinese commerce ministry officials, they said.

Gao told reporters during the briefing that China and North Korea were maintaining friendly relations but said he did not have knowledge of the delegation in question, adding he hoped the media would produce responsible reports based on facts.