China Bars North Korean Ship

 

The country will start inspecting the North Korean ships that dock at its ports for banned cargo as part of new international sanctions against Pyongyang. The move, which Beijing would start taking against the vessels as of Thursday, corresponds to its commitments under a raft of sanctions adopted against Pyongyang at the United Nations Security Council.

 

China plans to bar North Korean boats currently docked at its harbors from returning to their home ports starting Thursday, Japan’s Sankei Shimbun daily reported Wednesday, citing traders traversing between the two nations. 

 

North Korean general cargo ship Grand Karo arrived at Rizhao port in northeastern China a few days ago, but the port did not allow the ship to berth, said a person at the Rizhao Maritime Authority, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. 

 

The ship is among 31 vessels blacklisted by China's Ministry of Transport after they were covered by harsher sanctions on North Korea that were approved by the U.N. Security Council last week.

 

At least two other ships on the list of barred freighters are now sailing away after being anchored off Chinese ports, ship tracking data on the Reuters Eikon terminal showed on Tuesday.

 

The Cambodia-flagged, 6,593-deadweight-ton freighter is among the 31 vessels blacklisted by the Security Council. It appears to be now anchored about 35 kilometers from Rizhao since last Wednesday, according to data from the Marine Traffic vessel tracking website, analyzed by The Korea Herald. 

 

China has made other moves, including placing embargoes against North Korean ships entering Dandong, a border city that faces the Yalu River.