China Stops Oil Shipments To North Korea--Losing Patience With North's Provocation

China Ships No Oil to N.Korea in February

China suspended shipments of crude oil to North Korea in February, Reuters reported on Thursday quoting Chinese customs data.

China, North Korea’s sole real ally, normally supplies 30,000-50,000 tons of crude oil a month to the North. Its crude oil shipments to North Korea totaled 523,041 tons in 2012.

Some believe the suspension of shipments is further evidence that Beijing is losing patience with Pyongyang’s brinkmanship tactics. They suspect it was triggered by the North’s refusal to listen to Beijing and cancel its nuclear test on Feb. 12.

But a South Korean government official dismissed the speculation, saying it is quite usual for China not to ship crude oil to the North in February due to seasonal factors.  MOREHERE