People walk past a display of model missiles including a North Korean Scud-B (C) at the War Memorial of Korea. (Photo : Getty Images)
China just released an updated comprehensive list of goods that cannot be exported to North Korea. This includes many dual-purpose items that can be used for building weapons of mass destruction.
The list was published weeks after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stated that "China won't help control North Korea."
The list will help avoid the growth of international concern over North Korea's missile development and nuclear program.
It was jointly released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Customs Bureau and State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
The list contains technical details regarding items that could be used for contributing to the weapons programs of North Korea. It includes equipment and materials needed to develop nuclear missiles, software that are related to rockets or drones, lasers, sensors, high-speed video cameras and submarines.
The new list of banned items contains more details to the lists released last year and in 2013. It was formed after China's Commerce Ministry told companies to pay attention to the latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea to avoid unnecessary economic losses.
The ministry said: "The list was meant to comply with the requirements of a round of U.N. sanctions imposed in November in response to North Korea's fifth and largest nuclear test in September."
North Korea is currently doing several tests with their intercontinental ballistic missile that might reach the west coast of the United States. U.S. officials stated that they had seen indications of North Korea's preparation for a new missile test launch, which could be an early test of President Trump's administration.
James Mattis, the defense secretary of the Trump administration, plans to visit both Japan and South Korea next week for his debut trip abroad as the Pentagon chief.
