News Report: Observers: North Korea Pushing Longtime Ally Beijing Into Corner

William Ide

BEIJING — While debate continues in Washington about how the latest round of sanctions against North Korea could have been tougher, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration ponders additional actions, patience is wearing thin in China with the country’s longtime ally and communist neighbor.

On the streets and in academic circles, some are beginning to see the North Korea problem not just as a threat to South Korea, Japan and the United States, but to China as well.

Not a good neighbor

“It’s dangerous. This is all happening right next door,” says one woman surnamed Song, a foreign trader who lives in Beijing. “North Korea has been researching and developing nuclear weapons for a long time and almost all of the international community is opposed to that effort, and yet it continues to go its own way.”

Song says that while China has done a lot to “selflessly” help North Korea, Pyongyang has done little to repay Beijing. In fact, it has done just the opposite, she adds.

“It is a country that clearly has no bottom line,” she says.

News Report: Oil Sanctions Seen as Key to Curbing N. Korea’s Nuclear Program

Ham Jiha, Jenny Lee

WASHINGTON — Whether the new U.N. sanctions against North Korea will curb Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, experts on the Koreas and members of President Donald Trump’s administration say placing limits on the Kim Jong Un regime’s oil imports amounts to a significant step forward.

After the underground nuclear explosion Sept. 3 that North Korea said was a successful test of a hydrogen bomb, the United Nations Security Council agreed unanimously this week to adopt the strongest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea. The sanctions are intended to further isolate the country economically and reduce the hard currency the regime uses to finance its banned nuclear weapons activity.

Notable sanction: oil imports

The Security Council also banned North Korean textile exports and barred Pyongyang from sending its citizens to work abroad. Foreign remittances had been another key source of hard currency for Kim.

The new measures are in addition to embargoes enacted last month for Pyongyang’s most lucrative exports — coal, iron, lead and seafood.

The most notable part of the package of multiple sanctions, however, placed a limit on North Korea’s imports of refined petroleum products. Beijing and Moscow, North Korea’s two main oil suppliers, insisted on allowing some imports to continue — 2 million barrels per year, which the Security Council is said to have interpreted as a 30 percent reduction from current levels — in order to derail the Trump administration’s original call for an embargo on all oil trade with Kim’s regime.

News Report: US Requests UN Sanctions Vote on North Korea

The United States formally requested a vote of the U.N. Security Council on Monday of a draft resolution to establish new sanctions against North Korea, according to a statement by the U.S. mission, released late Friday.

“The United States informed the U.N. Security Council that it intends to call a meeting to vote on a draft resolution to establish additional sanctions on North Korea on Monday, September 11,” a statement read.

Draft of sanctions

The draft, obtained by VOA, calls for a ban on the sale of oil, as well as refined petroleum products and natural gas liquids to North Korea.

Pyongyang imports nearly all of its oil and gas from China, and without it, experts say, the economy would quickly be strangled.

The U.S. draft also aims to cut off exports of North Korean textiles, which account for hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

It also seeks to tighten restrictions on North Korea’s ability to send its citizens to work in foreign countries, where they often are required to send their salaries home to the government.

News Story: Diplomacy should be 'main battery' over military - US Pacific commander

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the United States Pacific Command said Tuesday diplomacy should outweigh military means in efforts to denuclearize North Korea.

Adm. Harry Binkley Harris made the remark during his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

"Diplomacy should always be the main battery, and the defense military wing should be a support," he said.

Harris, in charge of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, is visiting Seoul, along with U.S. Strategic Command head Gen. John Hyten and Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, to discuss North Korean threats and inspect the allies' joint military drill, the Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which kicked off Monday.

Kang said, "I think the alliance is a very strong one that goes forward with two wings hand in hand." The minister added she expects to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis soon.

"I'm happy to continue the discussion ... all toward further consultations on alliance issues that lie in front of us and to strengthen the alliance at a time when the importance of the alliance is as ever great," Kang told Harris.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: China orders implementation of UN sanctions on N. Korea

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China on Monday formally issued an order to implement the latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea, including a ban on all imports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead and seafood.

The order, issued by the Commerce Ministry, becomes effective on Tuesday. The sanctions endorsed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council earlier this month, in response to North Korea's two long-range ballistic missiles, are aimed at slashing its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The order was announced at a time when China has been under pressure from the United States to strictly enforce the sanctions and play a bigger role in reining in North Korea.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: Why China's Influence on North Korea Amid Escalation With US 'Overestimated'

While Washington expects China to pressure North Korea in order to make it stop conducting missile tests, the influence Beijing has on the situation is overestimated, an assistant director of the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies told Radio Sputnik.

According to expert Jenny Town, the fact that Beijing has influence on the North Korean economy, as it is the country's major trade partner, doesn't mean that China has leverage over Pyongyang's shows of force.

Radio Sputnik discussed the issue with assistant director of the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Jenny Town.

“I think people really overestimate China’s influence in this situation and they assume that economic influence means political influence,” Town said.

News Report: China to North Korea: If You Strike US First, We Won’t Protect You

China warned North Korea on Friday that if they conduct a missile strike against the US, Beijing will not come to their aid after the inevitable retaliation.

Beijing has consistently called for dialogue to resolve the growing tension on the Korean Peninsula. However, the state-owned Global Times newspaper published an editorial warning both Pyongyang and Washington that, "when their actions jeopardize China's interests, China will respond with a firm hand."

The article also clarified that "if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral." On the other hand, "[i]f the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."

China’s statement caps off a week that has seen North Korea and the US exchanging barbs in a war of words that has escalated to threats. US President Donald Trump responded to the North’s ongoing ballistic missile tests on Tuesday by threatening "fire and fury like the world has never seen." 

News Story: Abe, Trump agree to take new action after 2nd N. Korean ICBM

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in telephone talks Monday that they must take fresh action to tackle the threat from North Korea following Pyongyang's second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"I completely agreed with President Trump on the recognition that we must take further action," Abe told reporters after the talks.

A senior Japanese official later said Abe and Trump agreed on the need to immediately impose measures against the North that are stronger than those previously discussed at the United Nations.

"We have made repeated efforts to resolve the North Korean issue peacefully, coordinating between Japan and the United States and with the international community, but North Korea has trampled all over these efforts and unilaterally escalated (the situation)," Abe said.

"China, Russia and the rest of the international community must take seriously this undeniable fact and increase their pressure," he said.

The ICBM launched late Friday night travelled for 47 minutes, according to North Korea's official media, before falling into the Sea of Japan inside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: Top US Officials Say Talking to N. Korea Fruitless, Action Necessary

Senior U.S. officials said Sunday the time for talking about the diplomatic consequences of North Korea's latest missile test is over, since the danger to international peace that Pyongyang poses is now clear to all nations.

U.S. bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula to demonstrate military strength Sunday, and Vice President Mike Pence noted that the United States has "all options ... on the table" for responding to North Korea. Pyongyang said its latest test, of a missile believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, was a "stern warning" to Washington not to increase sanctions, but Pence rejected that as "unacceptable."

At the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States is not even asking for an emergency meeting of the Security Council, as it has on previous occasions, because the Western powers are "done talking" about North Korea. China, as North Korea's principal ally and supporter, must now decide if it will act more directly to rein in Pyongyang, Haley added.

Pence was in Estonia, one of the United States' NATO allies, when he was asked about the North Korea situation.

"The era of strategic patience is over," the vice president said, and he added pressure will continue until North Korea "permanently abandons" its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

News Story: China condemns N. Korea's missile launch, urges it to stop escalating tension

A North Korean Hwasong-14 Ballistic Missile Launcher

BEIJING, July 29 (Yonhap) -- China joined South Korea and the United States on Saturday in condemning North Korea's latest launch of an intercontinental-range ballistic missile, urging the North to stop provocative acts.

"China is closely watching the development of the latest situation. ... United Nations Security Council resolutions have clear regulations on North Korea's ballistic missile technology development activities," China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a response to the midnight launch.

"China is opposed to North Korea's (latest) launch activities, which defied UNSC resolutions and the common wish of the international community," he also said.

China urged North Korea to "abide by the UNSC resolutions, stop any act that escalates security tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and join efforts to maintain peace and security in the region," he also added.

Around the midnight before Saturday, North Korea fired what it later announced was the Hwasong-14 ICBM. It soared to an altitude of around 3,700 kilometers and flew for more than 1,000 km before landing in the waters between Korea and Japan, according to the South Korean military.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Report: What May Be Behind US Admiral Statement About Nuking China

Adm. Scott Swift (Image: Wiki Commons)

The commander of the United States Pacific Fleet said Thursday that he would launch a nuclear strike on China if President Donald Trump ordered it. Sputnik discussed with military expert Anatoly Tsyganok what could be behind the controversial statement.

Responding to a hypothetical question at a security conference at the Australian National University, Adm. Scott Swift said, “Every member of the US military has sworn an oath to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the officers and the president of the United States as commander and chief appointed over us.”

The head of the Russian Center for Military Forecasting, Anatoly Tsyganok suggested that the reason behind this statement might be provocation with the aim of seeing the reactions of Beijing and Moscow or it may simply be rash words.

News Story: If necessary, U.S. will deploy military means to stop N. Korea - Sen. Gardner

By Lee Haye-ah

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Yonhap) -- The United States will do everything it can to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile programs even if it means the use of military force, an influential senator said Tuesday.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remark during a conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, saying Washington remains committed to defending it allies in the region.

"I believe U.S. policy toward North Korea should be straightforward," he said in a keynote speech. "The United States will deploy every economic, diplomatic, and if necessary, military tool at our disposal to deter Pyongyang and to protect our allies."

Washington has stood for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula since 1992, and even though it hopes to achieve the goal through peaceful means, "all options are on the table," the senator emphasized.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Report: China Has No Military Contacts With North Korea Amid Escalating Crisis

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) does not currently maintain any contacts with the North Korean military amid escalation of crisis on Korean peninsula, local media reported Sunday, citing senior military official.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — North Korea has carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests in recent months, all of which are considered to be in violation with the UN Security Council resolution. Pyongyang's provocations are also seen as a threat by its neighbors, Japan and South Korea, and their allies.

"No, currently we do not have any contact or ties with the DPRK militarily. In the past we did, we had a lot of contact and exchanges. I think this reflect a kind of change in our relationship for the reasons known to all…. China is right now united with the international community to seriously honour UN resolutions, and we hope we eventually may find a solution to these problems," Sen. Col. Zhou Bo, director of the Center for International Security Cooperation of the Chinese Defense Ministry, said in an interview with Channel News Asia.

He also noted that the North Korea wanted direct talks with the United States, adding China is helping this dialogue.

North Korea has carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests in recent months, all of which are considered to be in violation with the UN Security Council resolution. Pyongyang's provocations are also seen as a threat by its neighbors, Japan and South Korea, and their allies.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: China and South Korea Urge Diplomacy as US Leaders Hint at Military Action

Officials with both the South Korean and the Chinese foreign ministries have called for restraint and diplomacy from the US and North Korea following a missile launch that the latter claimed was proof that they had acquired intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities.

The Chinese comments came from Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, who stressed for the Americans and North Koreans "to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions, and jointly make effort for the easing of tensions" in a Thursday statement to reporters.

The White House originally made China the centerpiece of their plan to peacefully resolve the Korean missile crisis, but now it seems that US President Donald Trump is moving away from that policy. "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us — but we had to give it a try!" the American president tweeted on Wednesday.

Geng replied to Trump's criticism in his comments: "As a neighboring country of the DPRK, China has maintained normal economic relations and trade. According to the DPRK-related resolutions, relevant economic sanctions should not harm the livelihood and normal humanitarian need of the DPRK."

News Story: Ex-CIA chief - China only card for resolving N. Korea problem

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Yonhap) -- China is still the only card the U.S. can use to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, a former CIA chief said, despite calls for tougher measures against Pyongyang in the wake of its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

James Woolsey, who served as CIA director during the administration of Bill Clinton, made the remark in an interview with AOL.com, saying regime change isn't likely going to work for the North.

"Regime change in North Korea is very difficult, and I don't know what leverage we've got," Woolsey said. "It's very hard to figure out how to do that, and Kim Jong-un doesn't seem like the type of leader that can be persuaded to step down by sweet reason."

"I think our only card is China," Woolsey said . "We have to convince China to work with us and to continue its economic pressure and enhance its economic pressure... I think China is the ballgame."

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed growing frustration after months of fruitless effort to persuade China to exercise more of its influence as the North's economic lifeline to rein in the regime. China accounts for nearly 90 percent of the North's total trade.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: Japan, US, S. Korea eye increased pressure on N. Korea

HAMBURG (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea started a meeting Thursday at which they are expected to affirm trilateral coordination in stepping up pressure on North Korea to curb its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

They are also likely to urge China and Russia to tighten the screws on the North after Pyongyang test-launched Tuesday an intercontinental ballistic missile potentially capable of reaching parts of the United States, a development U.S. President Donald Trump earlier said "won't happen."

Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae In on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of the Group of 20 major economies starting Friday in Hamburg, Germany, in the first trilateral summit since Trump and Moon took office in January and May, respectively.

The three leaders gathered as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his regime will never abandon nuclear weapons and will continue to send the United States more "gift packages" of missile and nuclear tests in what he described as self-defense measures.

North Korea's launch of a first ICBM marked a major step forward in its pursuit of a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike as far as the U.S. mainland. Analysts say the flight details suggest the missile is capable of reaching the U.S. state of Alaska, representing a potentially major shift in the security landscape.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: US Calls for Firm Action Against North Korea by UN

Margaret Besheer
Jeff Seldin

UNITED NATIONS / PENTAGON — The United States told U.N. Security Council members Wednesday it is prepared to use military means to defend against the threat posed by North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, but that it would be best to try to resolve the crisis through diplomatic and economic measures.

Ambassador Nikki Haley said the U.S. is prepared to defend itself and its allies. "One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces." The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea and about 50,000 in Japan.

Haley told Security Council members at an emergency meeting Wednesday: "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

North Korea's launch of an ICBM for the first time triggered widespread condemnation and an immediate diplomatic crisis. Parts of North America are believed to be in range of the new multistage rocket Pyongyang test-fired Tuesday.

News Story: Trump questions sincerity of China's efforts to rein in N. Korea

By Chang Jae-soon

WASHINGTON, July 5 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday questioned the sincerity of China's efforts to pressure North Korea, pointing out a sharp increase in the country's trade with the communist neighbor.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us -- but we had to give it a try!" Trump said in a Twitter posting.

It was Trump's latest expression of frustration after months of fruitless efforts to persuade China to exercise more of its influence as the North's economic lifeline to rein in the regime. China accounts for nearly 90 percent of the North's total trade.

Trump's frustration appears to have deepened after the North stunned the world with its first test Tuesday of an intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of striking the United States.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Report: Trump Attacks China's Growing Trade with North Korea

Ken Bredemeier

President Donald Trump assailed China on Wednesday for boosting its trade with North Korea, the latest of several broadsides Washington has leveled at Beijing in recent days.

Trump offered his criticism just before heading to Poland and later to Germany for a G-20 summit of leaders of the world's leading economies that includes a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. In a Twitter comment, Trump said, "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017

News Report: Nowhere to Turn - US Threatens War After Running Out of North Korea Sanctions

The US is now showing off its military might in the Korean peninsula because it has exhausted non-military means of resolving its differences with Pyongyang, according to political analyst Vladimir Batyuk.

Having imposed as many sanctions as possible on North Korea, the US government has run out of non-military measures and its next move in the conflict could be a declaration of war, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Center for Military and Political Studies Vladimir Batyuk told RIA Novosti.

"As far as sanctions are concerned, it's not possible to toughen them any further. The US doesn't have any trade relations with the country. Any further measures are simply a declaration of war," Batyuk said.