CHINA said yesterday that North Korean companies operating in the country will have to shut down by January as Beijing applies UN sanctions imposed following Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test.
China’s commerce ministry said the companies, including joint ventures with Chinese firms, have 120 days to close from the date the United Nations resolution was adopted on September 11.
The sanctions spare, on a case by case basis, entities involved in non-commercial activities or public utility infrastructure projects that do not generate profits.
North Korean companies operate restaurants and other ventures in China, helping provide the country with foreign currency. North Korean laborers work in Chinese factories and other businesses.
The announcement comes days after China confirmed that it will apply another major part of the sanctions — a limit on exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from Sunday and a ban on textiles from its neighbor.
In August, China banned North Korean firms and individuals from establishing new companies in its territory following a separate set of sanctions.
China also has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Commerce defended its recent imports of North Korean coal, saying they were permitted by UN sanctions.
Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said imports that were reported in August trade data were allowed by a “grace period” for goods that arrived before the UN ban took effect. The imports are “in line with the resolution,” Gao said.
Also yesterday, China appealed for dialogue to defuse the increasingly acrimonious dispute between US President Donald Trump’s government and North Korea.
“The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is related to regional peace and stability,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. “Breaking the deadlock requires all relevant parties to show their sincerity.”
“We are opposed to any war on the Korean Peninsula, and the international community will never allow a war plunge people into an abyss of misery,” Lu said.
“Sanctions and the promoting of talks are both the requirements of the UN Security Council. We should not overemphasize one aspect while ignoring the other,” Lu said.
On July 4, China and Russia issued a joint statement on the Korean Peninsula issue.
The two countries put forward a roadmap on the basis of Russia’s step-by-step approach, and China’s dual track approach and suspension for suspension initiative.
Lu said the joint initiative took the concerns of all relevant parties into account and is worthy of consideration.
