Bans imports of coal, rare earths, export of jet fuel
China's unprecedented embargo on DPRK Tuesday that set harsher restrictions on trade shows that Beijing is determined to see denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and may impose stronger sanctions if Pyongyang continues to act willfully, analysts said.
China has banned the importation of coal, iron ore, gold, rare earths and several other raw minerals from DPRK, and exports of jet fuel to DPRK are prohibited. Following the UN Security Council's resolutions, the embargo takes immediate effect, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
The statement said exceptions would be allowed for materials for civilian use, as long as the trade is not connected with DPRK's nuclear or missile program.
The announcement was made shortly after the Nuclear Security Summit that concluded on Friday in Washington, DC, where Chinese and US leaders agreed on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
"The mining sector is a key part of DPRK's economy. The embargo will prevent foreign currency from getting into the country, so the money can't be funneled toward nuclear weapons and missiles," said Dong Xiangrong, a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
China took delivery of around 20 million tons of coal from DPRK in 2015, up 27 percent on the year before, overtaking Russia and Mongolia to become China's third-biggest supplier, behind Australia and Indonesia, Reuters reported Tuesday.
DPRK cannot produce jet fuel itself and mainly imports it from China. The ban will curb the country's military actions, as jet fuel and other oil products can be used for military aircraft and to make rocket fuel, Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times.
"The embargo is in line with the new UN sanctions on DPRK, which has a definite target to prevent DPRK from advancing its nuclear and missile programs while not impacting people's livelihood and humanitarian requirements," Lü said.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution in March in response to DPRK's nuclear and missile program after the country conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February. This covers prohibitions on aviation fuel, rare minerals and harsher measures that stipulate all states should inspect cargo within or transiting through their territory that is destined for or originating from DPRK.
"Compared to some Western countries' proposal of pushing UN sanctions on DPRK all at once, China's embargo is more measured, which will not complicate the current situation, nor lead to extreme reactions from DPRK," Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times on Tuesday .
"The timely embargo shows that China will not tolerate nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as respond to the West's groundless accusations that China has not taken steps to ensure regional peace," Da said, adding that he believes China will impose further restrictions if DPRK keeps acting willfully.
Uncertain results
"The embargo will create negative effects on China-DPRK relations in the short-term, which may cause radical reactions from DPRK's leadership. If DPRK keeps carrying out nuclear tests, it will be hard for the China-DPRK relationship to see improvements," Dong said.
Whether the embargo will hasten Pyongyang's return to the negotiating table remains to be seen as the sanctions will take time to show results, experts said.
