A recent picture of North Korea-USA crisis and the positioning of Russia and China
The bad news has circulated all over the globe; Pyongyang claims to have developed a hydrogen bomb and continues to threaten to strike the US. The US in return has proposed a range of new United Nations sanctions against North Korea, including an oil ban and a freeze on leader Kim Jong-un’s assets. The draft resolution circulated to the Security Council members comes after North Korea’s sixth nuclear test and repeated missile launches. It calls for a total ban on supplying a range of oil products to North Korea and a ban on its textile export industry. It also suggests freezing the assets of North Korean Leader and the North Korean government, as well as banning Kim and other senior officials from travelling. North Korean laborers would also be banned from working abroad, principally in Russia’s Far East and China.
North Korea is already under highly restrictive sanctions imposed by the UN that are intended to force the leadership to curtail its weapons programs. In August, a new round of sanctions banned exports including coal, costing North Korea an estimated $1bn (£767m) – about a third of its entire export economy. Needless to say, China and Russia are both expected to oppose further sanctions and they have been pushing for an alternative solution.
They are proposing that the US and ally South Korea stop their military drills – not to irritate the North – and end the deployment of the controversial anti-missile Thaad system in South Korea, in return for Pyongyang ceasing its nuclear and missile program. The proposal has been rejected by the US and South Korea.
On Thursday, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told reporters that the council should respond further “by taking necessary measures”, but did not elaborate. He added that “sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation.” China is both North Korea’s and the US’s biggest trade partner, and has supported recent sanctions against it.
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump had previously warned the US could cut off trade with countries that do business with North Korea. The US has indicated that if the resolution is not passed when the Security Council meets next Monday it may impose its own sanctions unilaterally. Treasury Secretary Steve MNUCHIN confirmed this statement in a way by telling reporters on Wednesday night: “We believe that we need to economically cut off North Korea. I have an executive order prepared. It’s ready to go to the president. It will authorize me to put sanctions on anybody that does trade with North Korea.”
As seen from above information the picture is getting more confusing and threatening each and every day. God protect the world.
