Trump regrets China supplying oil to North Korea

US President Donald Trump said he was disappointed with continued trade and economic cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang, especially China's continued supply of oil to North Korea.

Image believed to be of Chinese ship selling oil to North Korea.

"It is regrettable that China is supplying oil to North Korea. There cannot be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues," - Donald Trump wrote in his Twitter.

The US Treasury Department released satellite images taken on October 19 showing the North Korean ship Rye Song Gang 1 connected to a large Chinese vessel in deep waters. The images appear to show an oil pipeline connecting the two vessels, Chosun Ilbo reported.

Such ship-to-ship trade is now banned under a resolution passed by the UN Security Council in September.

Under UN sanctions, Pyongyang is only allowed to import 500,000 barrels of oil a year.

Trading with North Korean ships at sea is prohibited, but US satellites have photographed suspected Chinese and North Korean vessels engaging in illicit trade 30 times since October, according to South Korean government sources.

According to Sputnik/vietnamnet