As North Korea ramps up its ballistic missile and nuclear testing programs, the world is watching the isolated peninsula with trepidation.
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17 eerie images show what it's like to live on the China-North Korea border
Half-finished buildings and an eerie sense of abandonment showcase strained ties.
A North Korean soldier guards the gate on banks of the Yalu River, north of Sinuiju, North Korea.
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Nowhere is this slowdown more apparent than on the 880-mile long border between the two countries.
Reuters photographers visited the Chinese city of Dandong on the border to see how the area has been affected, and the photos are fascinating.
The border between China and North Korea has been described as the nation's "lifeline to the outside world."
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Source: New York Times
The contrast between the two nations is stark. While much of the landscape along the North Korean side of the border is barren, punctuated with small towns...
... the Chinese side is dominated by the city of Dandong.
Dandong is an affluent city home to shopping centres, cinemas, and luxury apartments which sit along the waterfront, overlooking the North Korean town of Sinuiju.
Source: The Guardian
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Since the oppressive regime has made it illegal for citizens to leave the country without its permission, the Chinese city of Dandong is the most many North Koreans will see of the outside world.
At night, the only constant light from the North Korean side of the border is the illuminated statue of Kim Il-sung, the country's founding father, according to The Guardian's Matthew Poulter.
Source: The Guardian
North Korea sees China as its biggest trading partner and relies heavily on the relationship to keep its economy afloat. The majority of trade goes through the port of Dandong, pictured below.
The Friendship Bridge, seen in this photo, is one of the few ways to leave North Korea, and is also the most heavily used trade route.
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The reclusive peninsula's ongoing nuclear development has strained ties between the two nations, which, combined with UN sanctions, has resulted in slowed trade. The border is littered with run-down buildings and incomplete construction projects.
The sanctions limit the export of commodities such as iron ore and coal from North Korea, meaning the majority of goods passing through the border are now household items, food, and textiles.
Source: Reuters
Despite signing UN sanctions against Pyongyang, China is keen to maintain trade relations with the regime as it fears its collapse would result in crowds fleeing over the border.
Source: Reuters
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There's also a thriving black market for Chinese mobile phones in the border region. Chinese reception reaches over the river into North Korea, so with international calls being illegal in the hermit state, its citizens are willing to risk their freedom to get their hands on these devices.
Source: BBC
However tense the situation may be, the border region still attracts plenty of tourists.
Visitors can take boat rides down the Yalu — the river that divides the two nations.
It's also common for Chinese couples to rent boats and travel along the North Korean border on their wedding day.
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In this photo, a souvenir vendor takes a nap in front of barbed wire marking the border.
Ultimately, a visit to Dandong is probably one of the safest ways to get a peek into North Korea.
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