UpdateChina shows backing for watered-down UN resolution on North Korea
Central bank warns institutions to strictly enforce resolutions against Pyongyang as Security Council readies vote
China offered its backing in advance on Monday for what was expected to be a watered-down version of a United Nations Security Council resolution against North Korea after signalling its resolve to enforce sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear brinkmanship.
The US-drafted resolution initially called for an oil embargo on North Korea, and an asset freeze and travel ban on its leader Kim Jong-un. But media reports said it had been toned down in the hope of securing China’s support, no longer proposing to blacklist Kim and recommending less stringent sanctions on oil and gas exports.
The final draft reportedly called for an annual limit on crude oil exports to Pyongyang and a 2 million barrel cap on annual supplies of refined petroleum products. The resolution is a response to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test carried out just over a week ago.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China would agree to a “further response” by the Security Council. However, Geng also said denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula should be achieved through peaceful and diplomatic means.
A recent statement from China’s central bank, which caught media attention on Monday, ordered banks to strictly enforce UN sanctions, calling on various Chinese institutions to carry out “retrospective investigations” on individuals and entities targeted in UN resolutions.