TAIPEI, Taiwan – China neither denied nor acknowledged reports that a North Korean cargo ship suspected of carrying coal collided with a Chinese ship and sank in the Yellow Sea last month, but said it handled foreign and maritime affairs in accordance with the law.
A North Korean ship suspected of smuggling sank in the Yellow Sea in late February after an accident with a Chinese vessel in waters near a Chinese port, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday, citing unidentified sources.
When asked about the reports, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China was always committed to handling foreign and maritime issues in accordance with laws and regulations.
“We handle maritime accidents and search and rescue efforts in accordance with humanitarian principles, professional ethics, and international practices,” she said without acknowledging any incident involving a North Korean ship.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said they were closely monitoring the situation, without elaborating. North Korea has not commented.
Up to 20 North Korean crew members were believed to have died in the accident despite rescue operations by Chinese authorities, South Korea said. The Chinese ship reportedly sustained minor damage.
The North Korean vessel, fully loaded with coal, had reportedly turned off its automatic identification system, which transmits location and speed data , in an attempt to evade U.N. Security Council sanctions.
UNSC Resolution 2371, adopted in 2017, imposed a blanket ban on overseas sales of North Korean coal, iron ore, other mineral resources and seafood.
In March 2017, a North Korean cargo ship collided with a Chinese vessel and sank near China’s Lianyungang port. All of those on board were saved, and China’s transport ministry confirmed the accident at that time.
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Along with illegal coal exports, China is suspected of underreporting the amount of oil it ships to North Korea.
China exported a total of 280,928 barrels of refined oil to the country from January to November last year, surpassing the total supply of 256,861 barrels in 2023, according to the U.N. Security Council.
That was much lower than the annual import cap of 500,000 barrels set by the U.N. Security Council, but reports suggest that the actual volume of oil flowing into the North is significantly higher, as the U.N. figure only reflects the amount officially reported to it.
Relations between North Korea and China have shown signs of improvement recently, with reports showing the return of Chinese tourists and journalists to the North after it partly opened its border to foreigners following strict controls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, speculation emerged that ties between North Korea and China had cooled after Pyongyang moved closer to Moscow in recent years, but China’s foreign ministry dismissed in October any such suggestion.
Edited by Mike Firn.