China lifts embargo on North Korean oil

As is known to all, since the end of the Korean War, China has been treating North Korea for a long time and has given it a “family”. In the past ten years, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the North Korean government have discussed the catalogue of exports or aids, the quantity, the period, etc., every year, but basically it is 100,000 tons of grain, 500,000 tons of oil, and North Korea’s necessary supplies worth 20 million US dollars. In recent years, China has generally provided North Korea with 90,000 tons of grain and 500,000 tons of oil each year.

According to official sources in North Korea, China’s regular aid assistance has nothing to do with the long-term or spot exchange, and some of the goods are Chinese’s true assistance to North Korea. In 2009, officials of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that for many years, North Korea has been provided with gratuitous aid within acceptable limits. Its main purpose is to enable the North Korean people to overcome the economic difficulties. However, China did not disclose specific aid content.

Energy supply is the largest share of China's assistance to North Korea. Even when the international community sanctioned North Korea, China has not stopped or suspended the supply of North Korea's oil, coal and other materials. Some are even gratuitous aid to North Korea. According to statistics from China Customs, China will provide 30,000 to 50,000 tons of oil to North Korea every month in 2012, and the annual export volume will be approximately 523,000 tons.

However, China also stopped short-term supply to North Korea for some reason. In 2002, when North Korea conducted a high-concentration* project trial and caused the second North Korean nuclear crisis, China stopped supplying for three consecutive months in 2003 on the grounds of faulty maintenance of pipelines. According to reports, the sequelae of North Korea’s industry lasted for more than one year because of the closure of oil pipelines in China. At the time, the reason why the oil supply was so stopped was to give North Korea a warning.

However, North Korea has not learned the lessons of history. Earlier this year, North Korea blew up more than once, and it will conduct a new round of nuclear tests. China has indicated its opposition. In order to prevent the DPRK from acting, China sent more than one ** to the DPRK to persuade, but it did not receive any results. Not only did North Korea not persuade China to persuade, it chose to conduct nuclear tests on the Chinese New Year Day (February 12).

The nuclear test caused a major change in the relations between China and North Korea, which led to the impact on China’s oil supply to North Korea. After North Korea’s nuclear tests, it was naturally strongly condemned by the international community. In the UN Security Council voted on sanctions against North Korea, China voted in favor. In order to implement the Security Council’s sanctions resolution, China stopped exporting North Korea’s oil from February this year.

After an in-depth analysis of North Korea’s actions, we will find Kim Jong-un’s basic thread: He clearly demonstrated to the world through a series of actions such as nuclear tests and launches. North Korea is building a prosperous country. He is no longer on the “Korean nuclear talks”. Interested, this is not the loyalty of a whim. In particular, the more emphasis China has on the role of the six-nation talks, the more North Korea will feel that its destiny is in the hands of others, and the more things it will do to disappoint China.

From another point of view, North Korea’s tough stance is not seeking self-preservation in the ordinary sense, nor is it the summation or battle in the general sense. This “gambler” who appears to be “political strongman” will continue to provoke the international community to launch trials from ** to *** and let China learn. All this shows that China’s weight in the eyes of North Korea has already Looks more and more pale and powerless.

In spite of this, there is a view in the domestic academic community that the sanctions against North Korea must be treated with caution and only for short-term consideration. why? Eight years ago, seven years ago, China could do this. Now that North Korea has already had ***, if China insists on long-term sanctions, the result may be extremely negative. If not, North Korea would have been a problem for the United States and Japan, but it will cause trouble to China.

Of course, due to North Korea’s nuclear tests, China is in a dilemma: not supporting the UN Security Council’s sanctions resolution is not enough to show the image of China’s responsible big country. Too harsh sanctions may force North Korea to extremes. The two evils are lighter than each other. China has only conditionally excluded the latter and won the lightest sanctions for North Korea so that the situation is still within control.

Or, China’s lifting of the oil embargo on North Korea and restoration of its oil exports shows that North Korea has made some kind of compromise with China.