DIPLOMATS AROUND THE GLOBE CONSIDER OIL EMBARGO AND SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA

As North Korea continues to provoke the United States and its allies and ignores warnings from China, diplomats are looking at placing an oil embargo on North Korea.

The Japan Times is reporting:

NEW YORK – Japan, South Korea and the United States will accelerate efforts to press China to mull possible new sanctions, including an oil ban, if North Korea carries out another nuclear test or launches a long-range ballistic missile, several diplomats have said.

In addition to an oil embargo for the first time, other options in a new U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution could include measures such as globally banning the North’s national airline, Air Koryo, prohibiting North Korean workers from working abroad, completely restricting its coal exports and ending seafood exports.

Currently, coal export restrictions are in place. Beijing, as the largest importer, recently agreed to the further suspension of coal transfers with its neighbor.

In my opinion, this would be a very effective move against Kim Jong-un’s tyrannical regime.

The Trump administration along with the international community are pushing for China to clamp down even harder on North Korea as they account for 90 percent of Pyongyang’s trade.

The article by The Japan Times article also stated:

Beijing, which is North Korea’s primary economic and diplomatic benefactor, remains crucial to reining in the North’s nuclear ambitions although criticism has been directed at China for not fully implementing the measures that are in place.

“China is the key to making the sanctions effective,” one of the diplomats explained, questioning how serious China will be in backing such far-reaching sanctions measures.

The diplomat also said new sanctions will be imposed only if a sixth nuclear test or a successful intercontinental ballistic missile launch occurs. The latest launch, which apparently failed, took place Saturday morning.

What China needs to understand is that if they do not help the U.S. and its allies contain North Korea, they run the chance of Japan and South Korea fully deploying their own missile defense systems. Japan is currently looking at purchasing up to 6 THAAD anti missile platforms to defend the whole of Japan from the threat of North Korea. 

South Korea is currently protected by Patriot Missile Defense systems and Aegis missile cruisers which do have anti-missile capabilities. A THAAD missile defense platform is currently deployed in South Korea and is being calibrated and tested. Estimates are that the missile defense shield will be operational by May 9, 2017.

China has voiced opposition to the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system and its supporting state of the art next generation radar system in South Korea. They do not like the fact that this system is little over 500 miles away from Beijing.

Russia has joined China in opposing the deployment of THAAD on the Korean Peninsula, however both countries are downplaying the serious threat that is posed by a nuclear armed North Korea. The threat to Americas allies and American Forces in the region is very real. By 2020 North Korea will have the technical capabilities to strike the United States mainland.

I have been thoroughly covering the North Korean crisis, check out my other posts to learn more about whats going on. Many of these stories are not covered by the American Press.

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U.S. Missile Defense Shield Deployed To South Korea As Regional Tensions Rise: A Detailed Analysis

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Image Credit: cometstarmoon