@Traubi: Mmmm. Except for the fact that N. Korea brings unwanted attention to the area, which isn't something that China wants. N. Korea opened up tourism to Pyongyang for Chinese citizens about 4 years ago, but started holding them for ransom or arresting them for trumped up offences. Besides, neither country is actually communist, but China is changing for the better while N.Korea is not. China is getting tired of N. Korea.