BEIJING: Foreign Minister of China has warned his North Korean counterpart that the situation on the Korean Peninsula was inching closer to “crisis point”, just a day after the UN unanimously voted for its strongest possible economic sanctions against Pyongyang. In a meeting held in Manila, Philippine, China's Wang Yi, told Ri Yong-ho, that the measures were “necessary, but not the end-goal.” He clarified that the sanction aimed to bring the nuclear aspirant back to the table for talks. Yi emphasised that the situation was “approaching a crisis point, and at the same time had become a turning point for returning to negotiations.”
The UN resolution introduces an export ban on key products in retaliation for two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, stopping short of a ban on oil imports and air travel. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would “pay special attention to the North Korea issue” at their next meeting scheduled for September. On the sanctions, US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley said the vote had taken the penalties of Kim Jong Un's regime “to a whole new level” and “put the North Korean dictator on notice”.
A ban has been imposed on coal, North Korea's topmost export worth an estimated $400 million a year, along with seafood products, iron ore, lead and lead ore, all amounting to a shortfall of one third of the country's annual revenues. US President Donald Trump released a statement saying he “appreciates” the co-operation of both, China and Russia, in securing the resolution. He said he will work with allies and partners to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on the country.
Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia said his country supported the resolution because North Korea's ballistic and nuclear programme was “inadmissible”, although he cautioned that sanctions alone were inadequate and called for talks.
UK Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft said the sanctions “ratchet up pressure” on North Korea. “Now they have a choice”. The resolution, which also prohibits countries from increasing numbers of North Korean “guest” labourers and caps joint investments in the country, calls for the resumption of six-party talks.
