Nearly 50 Chinese trucks lined up at the Dandong customs station to transport goods into North Korea, two days after the impoverished nation defied Western warnings and launched what it said was a satellite.

"The border has opened as usual, there has been no suspension of border trade," said a customs official here surnamed Li, who refused to comment on the launch.

Border trade between the two nations was halted for the previous three days because of a long-weekend national holiday in China, she said.

The United States, Japan and South Korea said Sunday's launch was a ballistic missile test that defied a United Nations resolution and called for a strong international response to the action.

But while Japan is planning its own new sanctions, China has called for restraint and Chinese traders in Dandong are confident they will not have to worry about any clampdown from their government.

"There is no way that they will stop trade because of this satellite launch," said Zhang Jinbo, a truck driver who was hauling a container full of building supplies over the border.

"North Korea is too poor and backward, China must support them."

Most other Chinese businessmen and truck drivers echoed similar feelings, saying China had to support the economy of its long-time ally to help alleviate dire poverty in North Korea.

Trucks were transporting into North Korea all sorts of goods Tuesday, including clothes, building materials, food, tobacco, tractors and small trucks, while others were heading in to load up on cargo.

"I'm going over to pick up a load of dried fish," said one driver who identified himself by his surname of Han. "I go over there three or four times a week."

The two nations share a 1,415-kilometer (880-mile) border and a significant portion of all trade between North Korea and the outside world comes by road and rail through Dandong, the northeast Chinese border town on the Yalu River.

The rest of the cross-border trade comes through smaller road and rail links, as well as via shipping lanes.

By mid-morning Tuesday, nearly two dozen North Korea trucks, almost all Japanese-made, were being inspected by Chinese customs officials after crossing the Friendship Bridge in Dandong.

"Some of them are bringing in goods, but a lot of them are empty and come over to pick up Chinese goods," said a driver also surnamed Zhang, who was about to take over a truckload of Chinese cigarettes.

Other drivers refused to discuss the trade between the two countries, citing warnings from Dandong authorities concerned over border tensions that have risen with the rocket launch.

"We have been told not to accept interviews," one driver said.

Trade between the two neighbours hit a record 2.79 billion dollars in 2008, up 41 percent from the year before. Chinese exports made up two billion dollars, according to Beijing's figures.

Businessmen and analysts said that much of the trade is funded by a Chinese government hoping to push forward economic reforms in the isolated and hardline communist nation.

Beijing also fears that an implosion of the North Korean government and economy will lead to a wave of refugees flooding into China as they seek to escape poverty and famine, they said.

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