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China's trade with N.Korea falls as pressure mounts
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) May 23, 2017


N.Korea 'flatly rejects' UN vow to tighten sanctions
Seoul (AFP) May 23, 2017 - North Korea on Tuesday "flatly rejected" a United Nations statement vowing to punish its latest banned missile test with tighter sanctions.

In a unanimous statement backed by Pyongyang's ally China, the UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned Sunday's test-firing of the medium-range Pukguksong-2, instructing the UN sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a series of tough measures adopted last year.

A spokesman for Pyongyang's foreign ministry blamed what it called "the US and its followers" for the declaration, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, saying they were "obsessed by inveterate repugnancy and hostility".

"It is absolutely ridiculous to see them finding fault with the DPRK's every measure for self-defence," the spokesman added, using the acronym for the North's official name. "We flatly reject the press statement."

Pyongyang habitually issues threats and says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the risk of invasion.

It has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has said military action was an option under consideration, sending fears of conflict spiralling.

More recently the United States has said it is willing to enter into talks with North Korea if it halts its nuclear and missile tests.

The US-drafted Security Council statement was agreed on the eve of an emergency meeting requested by the United States, Japan and South Korea to discuss a course of action on North Korea.

In it the Council agreed to "take further significant measures including sanctions" to force North Korea to change course and end its "highly destabilising behaviour".

China's imports from North Korea fell in April to a near three-year low, data showed Tuesday, as Beijing faces calls to put more economic pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

China -- the North's sole major diplomatic ally and key trading partner -- has stopped buying coal from it, denying the regime access to a key source of the hard currency needed to fund its weapons programmes.

But the United States has been pushing China to do more.

China's total imports from North Korea fell 13.4 percent in April from the previous month to $99.3 million, the lowest since at least June 2014, Chinese customs data showed.

The total was nearly 44 percent below February's figure when Beijing's ban on North Korean coal came into force.

Chinese exports to the North fell 12 percent in April from the previous month to $288.2 million.

Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of Pyongyang's latest missile launch on Sunday.

The UN Security Council, backed by China, on Monday strongly condemned the test-firing. It instructed the UN sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a raft of tough measures adopted last year.

The United States has for weeks been negotiating a new Security Council sanctions resolution with China. But US ambassador Nikki Haley said last week that no final draft text had been clinched.

"On the basis of not violating the relevant (Security Council) resolutions, China maintains normal business and trade ties with the DPRK," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, using the initials of North Korea's official name.

"We are faithfully implementing the resolutions. We are not doing it as a gesture to another party -- we are just fulfilling our international obligations as a permanent member of the UN Security Council."

North Korea has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang as fears grow that Kim Jong-Un's regime is planning another nuclear test, which would be its sixth.

Under UN resolutions North Korea is barred from developing nuclear and ballistic missile technology.

NUKEWARS
UN vows to tighten sanctions on North Korea
United Nations, United States (AFP) May 23, 2017
The UN Security Council on Monday vowed to push all countries to tighten sanctions against North Korea as it prepared for a closed-door meeting called in response to the latest missile launch. In a unanimous statement backed by the North's ally China, the council strongly condemned the test-firing on Sunday and instructed the UN sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a series o ... read more

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