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| China Bans Some Exports to North Korea for Fear of Weapons Use | China Bans Some Exports to North Korea for Fear of Weapons Use |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIJING — In a sign of increasing concern about North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, China published a list on Tuesday that included military-like hardware and chemical substances to be banned from export to North Korea for fear that 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 military-like hardware and chemical substances to 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,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. | 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 two weeks after new satellite photographs showed that North Korea might be resuming production of plutonium at its newly reconstructed nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. | The list was released two weeks after new satellite photographs showed that North Korea might be resuming production of plutonium at its newly reconstructed nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. |
| 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 to 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 to 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, the 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,” Mr. Zhu 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 Korea’s 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 Korea’s 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. |
| An American expert on the North Korean nuclear program, David Albright, said the announcement meant that China was now implementing the latest United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea. That resolution, passed in March, specified nuclear, ballistic missile and chemical weapons technology that must be banned for transfer to North Korea. | An American expert on the North Korean nuclear program, David Albright, said the announcement meant that China was now implementing the latest United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea. That resolution, passed in March, specified nuclear, ballistic missile and chemical weapons technology that must be banned for transfer to North Korea. |
| “China is finally implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea, which is a good thing and will help since North Korea procures so much from China,” said Mr. Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security. | “China is finally implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea, which is a good thing and will help since North Korea procures so much from China,” said Mr. Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security. |
| China could take added measures to “dramatically increase the inspection of goods into North Korea by road and rail,” he said. | China could take added measures to “dramatically increase the inspection of goods into North Korea by road and rail,” he said. |
| The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, which follows Pyongyang’s nuclear program closely, said on Sept. 11 that steam emerging from the Yongbyon reactor suggested that the plant was being restarted six years after North Korea pledged to shut down the complex. | The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, which follows Pyongyang’s nuclear program closely, said on Sept. 11 that steam emerging from the Yongbyon reactor suggested that the plant was being restarted six years after North Korea pledged to 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. | |
| China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, hosted a 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 2003 to 2009 and ended when North Korea walked out. | China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, hosted a 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 2003 to 2009 and ended when North Korea walked out. |
| Mr. Wang said 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 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 government 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 t 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. | On those grounds, the administration said t 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 t 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 t 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.' ” |
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: September 24, 2013 | Correction: September 24, 2013 |
An earlier version of this article misstated the year that six-party negotiations aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear program began. The talks started in 2003, not 1999. | An earlier version of this article misstated the year that six-party negotiations aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear program began. The talks started in 2003, not 1999. |