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China Bans Certain North Korean Exports for Fear of Weapons Use China Bans Certain North Korean Exports for Fear of Weapons Use
(about 4 hours later)
BEIJING — In a sign of increasing concern about North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, China published a list on Tuesday that included militarylike hardware and chemical substances that would be banned from export to North Korea for fear they could be used in constructing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. BEIJING — In a sign of increasing concern about North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, China published a list on Tuesday that included militarylike hardware and chemical substances that would be banned from export to North Korea for fear that they could be used in constructing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
The items in the 236-page document are prohibited from being sent to North Korea because “the dual-use products and technologies delineated in this list have uses in weapons of mass destruction as well as their vehicles,” said a statement by the Ministry of Commerce. The items in the 236-page document are prohibited from being sent to North Korea because “the dual-use products and technologies delineated in this list have uses in weapons of mass destruction as well as their vehicles,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
The list was released 10 days after new satellite photographs showed that North Korea may be resuming production of plutonium at its newly reconstructed nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.The list was released 10 days after new satellite photographs showed that North Korea may be resuming production of plutonium at its newly reconstructed nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.
The move also came less than a week after Beijing invited North Korea and other countries, including the United States, to a conference here to try and revive talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear capabilities. The move also comes less than a week after China invited North Korea and other countries, including the United States, to a conference here to try and revive talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear capabilities.
“The release of the new export control list is a signal China is concerned about the speeding up of weaponization” of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, said Zhu Feng, deputy director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Beijing University. “The release of the new export control list is a signal China is concerned about the speeding up of weaponization” of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, said Zhu Feng, the deputy director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Beijing University.
In particular, the Chinese government is concerned about the resumption of plutonium production at the Yongbyon complex, the centerpiece of North Korea’s nuclear program, he said.In particular, the Chinese government is concerned about the resumption of plutonium production at the Yongbyon complex, the centerpiece of North Korea’s nuclear program, he said.
“That the list of export controls is extending to dual-use technologies is very important,” he said. “That the list of export controls is extending to dual-use technologies is very important,” Mr. Zhu said.
Another Chinese expert on North Korea, who declined to be named because of his position in the government hierarchy, said the publication of the list “says that China is increasingly unsatisfied with North Koreas’ actions.”Another Chinese expert on North Korea, who declined to be named because of his position in the government hierarchy, said the publication of the list “says that China is increasingly unsatisfied with North Koreas’ actions.”
“This is one of the practical actions to show it,” he said.“This is one of the practical actions to show it,” he said.
The U. S-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, which follows Pyongyang’s nuclear program closely, said on Sept. 10 that steam emerging from the Yongbyon reactor showed the plant was likely being restarted, six years after North Korea pledged it would shut down the complex. The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, which follows Pyongyang’s nuclear program closely, said on Sept. 10 that steam emerging from the Yongbyon reactor suggested that the plant was likely being restarted, six years after North Korea pledged it would shut down the complex.
The items on the list released Tuesday by China were called “dual-use technologies” because they can be used for both civilian and military purposes.The items on the list released Tuesday by China were called “dual-use technologies” because they can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
They include Ebola, a biological virus, nickel powder, radium, flash X-ray generators and microwave antennas designed to accelerate ions. China’s Commerce Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Administration of Customs and the Atomic Energy Authority jointly published the list.They include Ebola, a biological virus, nickel powder, radium, flash X-ray generators and microwave antennas designed to accelerate ions. China’s Commerce Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Administration of Customs and the Atomic Energy Authority jointly published the list.
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, hosted the conference in Beijing last week that included countries involved in the last round of six-party talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program, negotiations that Beijing ran from 1999 to 2009 and which ended when North Korea walked out.China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, hosted the conference in Beijing last week that included countries involved in the last round of six-party talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program, negotiations that Beijing ran from 1999 to 2009 and which ended when North Korea walked out.
Mr. Wang told the conference that the time had come to resume the talks, and the first vice foreign minister of North Korea, Kim Kye-gwan, who attended the gathering, said North Korea was ready to talk without conditions, a standard phrase from the North Koreans for some time now. Mr. Wang said that the time had come to resume the talks, and the first vice foreign minister of North Korea, Kim Kye-gwan, who attended the gathering, said North Korea was ready to talk without conditions, a standard phrase from the North Koreans for some time now.
The Obama administration has said it has seen no sign that the North Korean regime has started to reduce its nuclear program. Instead, Washington says North Korea appears to be beefing up its nuclear activities. The Obama administration has said it has seen no sign that the North Korean government has started to reduce its nuclear program. Instead, Washington says North Korea appears to be beefing up its nuclear activities.
On those grounds, the administration said that it was not interested in participating in renewed talks on North Korea’s nuclear program unless North Korea first took concrete steps to dismantle its facilities. Washington refused to send a senior official to the conference here last week, dispatching instead a diplomat from the United States Embassy. On those grounds, the administration said that it was not interested in participating in renewed talks unless North Korea first took concrete steps to dismantle its facilities. Washington refused to send a senior official to the conference here last week, instead sending a diplomat from the United States Embassy.
In remarks at the conference, a former senior State Department official and expert on North Korea, Evans J. R. Revere, whose presence was approved by the administration, said that North Korea was “further away than ever from the goal of denuclearization.”In remarks at the conference, a former senior State Department official and expert on North Korea, Evans J. R. Revere, whose presence was approved by the administration, said that North Korea was “further away than ever from the goal of denuclearization.”
Mr. Revere said North Korea “has rejected denuclearization, declared itself a nuclear power, revealed to the world that it has not just one but two programs to produce fissile material, confirmed that it is developing strategic rocket forces for the delivery of nuclear weapons and sworn that it will never give up its nuclear weapons ‘even in a dream.' ”Mr. Revere said North Korea “has rejected denuclearization, declared itself a nuclear power, revealed to the world that it has not just one but two programs to produce fissile material, confirmed that it is developing strategic rocket forces for the delivery of nuclear weapons and sworn that it will never give up its nuclear weapons ‘even in a dream.' ”