BEIJING: China is tackling labour shortage and

rising wages

by importing thousands of North Korean workers from across the border. The Chinese immigration has permitted a second batch of 20,000 workers bringing the total number of

North Koreans

in China to 40,000 in recent months, according to media reports.

Most imported labour is women because the North Korean government is wary of political dissidents escaping the country if more men are allowed. Besides, China wants to avoid a rush of North Korean men after violent incidents resulting in the death of some Chinese citizens in past months.

Earlier batches of manpower imports from North Korea, which was confirmed by official sources in Beijing, were used in factories in the border cities of Tumen and Huchun in Jilin Province along the Duman River.

Most North Koreans have been given "industrial student" visas to allow their employers pay lower wages ranging between $150 and $250 a month, according to reports from

South Korea

, which keeps a close watch on developments in North Korea. This is about a third of the wages of regular Chinese workers.

Rising labour prices have caused anxiety among foreign investors and resulted in neighboring Vietnam attracting some of the investments earlier destined for China, observers said. The move to import cheap and usually obedient North Korean women workers is also aimed to keeping project costs low in China.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing said China may be violating the United Nation sanctions on North Korea by importing workers, and boosting its

economy

, because the imported workers will send back hard currency to their families.

The new batch of workers are being sent to Dandong area of China's Liaoning province along the Apnok River which separates the two countries.

They will work in factories that manufacture clothes, food and IT products, or in mines. The imported workers may include some who lost jobs after South Korea halted trade with North Korea following a naval conflict in 2010.