China urgently needs to cut off oil supplies to North Korea

(Baonghean.vn)- Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that China needs to urgently consider cutting oil exports to North Korea, at least by half, to force Pyongyang to change direction of its nuclear and missile programs.

"Given the incredible speed at which things are unfolding before our eyes, China must consider some form of sanctions, such as cutting off half of its oil exports, if we want North Korea to change its current course," Ban Ki-moon said in an exclusive interview with the South Morning China Post's "This Week in Asia" section ahead of his three-day visit to Hong Kong.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Photo: AP

Mr. Ban's view is similar to the call of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on December 12, that China's unilateral oil embargo is the most effective way to force North Korea back to the negotiating table.

However, the former UN Secretary-General also realized that a complete sanction is impossible for China, because this country is always worried that the collapse of leader Kim Jong-un's government will lead to instability and a wave of refugees flooding across the Chinese border.

Despite the “tense” situation facing Chinese leaders, Mr. Ban expressed hope that Beijing would “wisely play an essential role in leveraging its power to ensure the safety of the international community against any imminent security threats.”

The official also said that the US is facing “the most serious security challenge since the end of the Cold War”.

North Korea recently launched the Hwasong-15 ICBM, capable of reaching the US mainland. Photo: AFP

China has previously said international efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions must adhere to the "four no's": no regime change, no regime collapse, no forced reunification of the two Koreas, and no military deployment north of the 38th parallel, which divides the two Koreas.

Although there are no public figures on North Korea's energy imports and use, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that in 2016 the country imported about 6,000 barrels of oil per day from China.

This figure accounts for 40% of North Korea's daily oil consumption, or about 16,000 barrels, which is a drop in the ocean compared to South Korea, which consumed 2.6 million barrels of oil per day in 2016. Crude oil is transported from China to North Korea via the "China-North Korea Friendship Oil Pipeline" which has been in operation since 1975./.

Lan Ha

(According to SMCP)