On February 18, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the suspension of coal imports for the remainder of this year. In a daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: “According to our statistics, China has already approached the upper limits of coal imports from North Korea. So because of this, we have stopped imports of coal from North Korea with a responsible attitude.” Echoing his comment was the Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, who explained that China’s coal import from North Korea by mid- February was close to the quota stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 2321.
While the world has welcomed this decision, it remains unclear whether China acted to fulfill its UN obligations or unilaterally to punish North Korea outside the scope of the UN sanctions. Beijing’s official explanation suggests the former. However, the real customs data points to a different story.
This article was originally published by 38 North on April 5, 2017. Read the full article here.
China
On February 18, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the suspension of coal imports for the remainder of this year. In a daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: “According to our statistics, China has already approached the upper limits of coal imports from North Korea. So because of this, we have stopped imports of coal from North Korea with a responsible attitude.” Echoing his comment was the Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, who explained that China’s coal import from North Korea by mid- February was close to the quota stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 2321.
While the world has welcomed this decision, it remains unclear whether China acted to fulfill its UN obligations or unilaterally to punish North Korea outside the scope of the UN sanctions. Beijing’s official explanation suggests the former. However, the real customs data points to a different story.
This article was originally published by 38 North on April 5, 2017. Read the full article here.
Recent & Related
Intergenerational Solidarity and Learning in an Era of Declining Trust
The UN Annually Votes on Ending the US Embargo on Cuba. What Does it Mean for Unilateral Sanctions and Their Impact on Human Rights?
Experts React: The Midterms and America’s Place in the World
The Lame-Duck Period is Full of Peril in the War on Iran
Is Reforming the UNSC Realistic? Article 27(3) of the UN Charter Offers a Starting Point.
Beyond the Populist Zeitgeist
A New Transatlantic Equilibrium
Forging a European Foreign Policy
A Superpower in Decline
What Is Going on in Cybersecurity?
The Implications of Ukraine’s Starshield Access for the US Military
Egypt’s Parallel Inc. & the Myth of Sovereign Efficiency
Find an Expert
Home to more than 100 scholars and global affiliates, the Stimson Center is proud to be a magnet for the world’s leading experts on the most pressing foreign policy and national security issues of our time. Explore our experts and their work.