UNITED NATIONS – China delayed a US request for a United Nations SecurityCouncil committee to blacklist 33 ships, 27 shipping companies, and aTaiwan man for violating international sanctions on North Korea, diplomatssaid on Friday.
The United States submitted the request a week ago, a move it says is“aimedat shutting down North Korea’s illicit maritime smuggling activities toobtain oil and sell coal.”
The UN request coincided with the United States imposing its largestpackage of unilateral sanctions against North Korea on Friday, intensifyingpressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
China did not give a reason for placing a hold on the U
The United States submitted the request a week ago, a move it says is“aimedat shutting down North Korea’s illicit maritime smuggling activities toobtain oil and sell coal.”
The UN request coincided with the United States imposing its largestpackage of unilateral sanctions against North Korea on Friday, intensifyingpressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
China did not give a reason for placing a hold on the US request. A holdcan be lifted and is often used when a Security Council member wants moreinformation, but sometimes it can lead to a permanent blocking of aproposed blacklisting.
The Security Council North Korea sanctions committee works on the basis ofunanimity.
If agreed, the 33 ships proposed by the United States, 19 of which areNorth Korean vessels, would be subjected to a global port entry ban.Countries would also be required to deregister the 14 ships that are notNorth Korean.
The 27 proposed companies and the one individual would be subjected to anasset freeze.
The UN Security Council has unanimously boosted sanctions on North Koreasince 2006 in a bid to choke off funding for Pyongyang’s nuclear andballistic missile programs, banning exports including coal, iron, lead,textiles and seafood, and capping imports of crude oil and refinedpetroleum products. – Agencies