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.

"Unfortunately, China is supplying oil to North Korea. There can be no friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues," Donald Trump wrote on 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 United Nations 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 according to South Korean government sources, US satellites have photographed Chinese and North Korean ships suspected of illicit trade 30 times since October.

According to Sputnik/vietnamnet