U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seen before a meeting at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday. (Photo : Getty Images/ Saul Loeb )
The United States and China have agreed on a U.N. Security Council draft resolution, which aims at toughening sanctions against an obstinate North Korea. A vote on the resolution is expected soon.
The agreement comes following a series of meetings in Washington between the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday and with the U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice on Wednesday. The U.S. and China, which hold veto powers as permanent members of the U.N., had been holding parleys on a draft resolution since North Korea went ahead with its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, reported Fox News.
After the U.N. resolution comes in force, it will allow inspections of all cargo moving into and out of North Korea. At the same time, it would ban the export of all aviation fuel, counting rocket fuel, to North Korea and also blacklist the individuals as well as entities associated with Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
This is the first time that China has consented to comprehensive sanctions against its neighbor. In spite of the Security Council's condemnation of the previous nuclear tests by Pyongyang earlier, China only consented to weapons transfer ban and limited sanctions against North Korea, especially those associated with the country's nuclear program, Reuters reported.
While the U.S., its allies in the West and Japan demanded more comprehensive sanctions, which would go beyond Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, China was against imposing measures that might possibly be a threat to North Korea's stability and even result in the collapse of the country's economy. Even on Tuesday Wang asserted that only the new U.N. resolution would not help to resolve the issue and stressed on a dialogue with the country's rulers.
In fact, there is no certainty on whether or not the proposed sanctions would be able to prevent North Korea from pursuing its nuclear and missile programs. Several efforts to thwart the country's nuclear program in the past were not implemented wholly or have succeeded in preventing North Korea from building its nuclear arsenal. Moreover, it is also not sure whether China would follow the resolution in letter and spirit this time.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials refused to provide the text of the proposed resolution. Nevertheless, it is believed that the proposed measures would include banning trade in conventional weapons and aviation fuel to North Korea. In addition, the proposal also calls for blacklisting several individuals and companies, which have been accused of illegally supplying the country with nuclear material.
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