G7, UN And European Union Urge China To Influence North Korea To Stop Tricking Sanctions

JAKARTA - Groups of Seven (G7), other UN members, and the European Union are urging Beijing to help stop North Korea's activities trying to circumvent UN sanctions in Chinese waters.

In a letter to China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun, they expressed concern about the existence of oil tankers "which use your territorial waters in Sasha Bay as a cover in facilitating the trade in petroleum products covered by sanctions" to North Korea.

As reported by ANTARA from Kyodo, Tuesday, July 25, they also stated that they are ready to provide "satellite images that clearly show these practices continue to occur in China's jurisdiction in 2022 and continue in 2023", to China.

The UN Security Council's expert panel for North Korea's sanctions confirmed in an earlier report this year that ships linked to countries involved in illegal oil transfers from ships to ships docked in bays outside Fujian Province.

According to the letter dated July 6, the image taken shows a number of ships identified by the Security Council panel making illegal shipments of petroleum to North Korea or transferring ships to ships with North Korean-flagged vessels anchored in the bay in 2020 and 2021.

China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations on Monday tweeted that the country was "always strict in implementing" the Security Council's resolution and seriously fulfilling international obligations.

The letter was signed by G7 countries, namely the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, as well as by Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the European Union.

"The international community is closely observing China's commitment to maintaining its commitment to the United Nations and the execution of its policies granted through its permanent membership in the Security Council," the letter said.

The United Nations has imposed a series of economic sanctions on North Korea linking all UN members since Pyongyang conducted its first nuclear test in 2006.