“Ship sanctioned for transporting North Korean weapons to Russia docks in Chinese port”

by times news cr

2024-04-25 16:33:06

On February 11, a satellite photo captured the Russian cargo ship ‘Angara’ anchored at a port in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. The Angara is a ship used to transport thousands of containers believed to contain North Korean military supplies to Russian ports on 11 occasions since August of last year. Photo source: Royal Joint Military Institute

While U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is visiting China, reports have emerged that a ship used to load North Korean weapons to be delivered to Russia has been docked at a Chinese port for three months. This is the first time that circumstances have revealed that China supported North Korea-Russia arms trade related to the Ukraine war. Secretary Blinken is expected to send a strong message to China, including stopping support for Russia.

According to a report from the British think tank ‘Royal Joint Military Institute (RUSI)’ obtained by Reuters on the 25th, the Russian cargo ship ‘Angara’ traveled between North Korea and Russia in January this year and has been docked at a port in Zhejiang Province, eastern China, since February 9. It’s in progress. RUSI said, “As a result of analyzing satellite photos and ship location transmitter (transponder) records, the Angara has traveled between North Korea’s Rajin Port and Russian ports a total of 11 times from August of last year to the present.”

The U.S. State Department also confirmed, “We have determined that the Angara is anchored in a Chinese port.” He then told Reuters, “The issue of North Korea-Russia military cooperation will be a major agenda item in the meeting between Secretary Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.” The two sides are scheduled to meet in Beijing on the 26th, the last day of Secretary Blinken’s visit to China.

Secretary Blinken met with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining on the 25th and raised concerns about China’s trade policy and non-market economic practices.

Analysts say that Secretary Blinken’s visit to Shanghai, the ‘economic capital’, before Beijing, the capital city, was intended to emphasize strengthening cooperation and expansion of exchanges between the United States and China while also conveying a warning message about China’s overproduction. On this day, he visited the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and held a roundtable event with representatives of American companies operating in China, before moving to Beijing.

There is also interest in whether a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be held. Secretary Blinken met with President Xi without notice during his visit to China in June last year. However, this time, both sides are engaged in a war of nerves, with US President Joe Biden signing the security assistance package bill, including weapons support for Taiwan, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pouring out five demands, including an end to US trade measures. It is difficult to predict.

Reporter Lee Ji-yoon [email protected]

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2024-04-25 16:33:06

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