A move to close China's border with North Korea has apparently been ordered by the Chinese military.

An official at Hunchun City of China’s Jirin Province said on Wednesday that the Chinese military sealed the border with the North, adding that the military has great power when it comes to issues on the border area.

The official, however, added that it is not known whether the Chinese and North Korean militaries had any previous discussion on the border shutdown.

Other Chinese cities on the border with the North, such as Tumen and Longjing, also banned access to the border area. Local authorities of Chinese provinces in the region are closely monitoring activities of foreign journalists.