China Is Finally Putting The Screws To North Korea
RYAN PICKRELL
DailyCaller.com
02/18/2017
China is preparing to deliver a crushing blow to the weak North Korean economy.
It is suspending all coal imports from North Korea, the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday, without going into specifics as to why it was taking action.
Coal exports are a primary source of income for the reclusive state. Following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in February last year, the United Nations Security Council passed UNSC Resolution 2270, which placed restrictions on North Korea’s coal exports but made exceptions through the “livelihood purposes” clause. China has been accused of exploiting this loophole to continue importing North Korean coal in order to reduce international pressure on Pyongyang.
China agreed to reduce its coal imports from North Korea last April, yet by August, coal imports had surged. In August, China imported 2.47 million tons of coal from the North. In 2016, China imported 22.48 million tons of coal, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent.
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