US Spy Satellites Catch Chinese Ships Illegally Selling Oil To North Korea
Content adapted from this Zerohedge.com article : Source
According to South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, U.S. recon satellites have photographed around 30 illegal transactions involving Chinese vessels selling oil to North Korea on the West Sea in October. The images allegedly showed large Chinese and North Korean ships transacting in oil in a part of the West Sea closer to China than South Korea. The satellite pictures even showed the names of the ships.
A government source said, "We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a UN Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Korea's imports of refined petroleum products." Meanwhile, on paper, China's trade with North has recently collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of sanctions in September targeting North Korea's imports of refined petroleum products.
Back in November, the US. Treasury Department sanctioned an additional six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their ships after the satellite pictures surfaced. In the above picture, the North Korean ship named Ryesonggang 1, was easily identified and connected to the illegal sale of oil from China.
According to Chosun Media, "the department noted that the two ships appeared to be illegally trading in oil from ship to ship to bypass sanctions."
Ship-to-ship trade with North Korea on the high seas is forbidden in UNSC Resolution 2375 adopted in September, but such violations are nearly impossible to detect unless China aggressively cracks down on smuggling.
Last month, the Communist Party spokespeople slammed new US sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Koreans, calling them "wrong". At this point, it's still unknown if the Chinese government is turning a blind eye to the illegal open sea transactions with North Korea, but as of today it seems as a blatant snub to the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, as President Trump and the US celebrate last week's latest round of new sanctions for North Korea at the UN, the likelihood of illegal smuggling routes between the two countries will surely expand. The question then is with all diplomatic avenues exhausted and China violating a UNSC resolution, what happens next?
I may be wrong, but it seems that North Korea is just a proxy for chinese interests and for China to press and confront US.
5.88% @pushup from @discernente
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Americanos have a lot of chutzpah knowing that almost every nation on earth told them to fuck off not a week ago. These sore assholes really think the world will rally behind them for their immoral blockade on north Korea. your own way just like the control exercised over the WTO, IMF and the World Bank. I got no problem getting rid of the UN, but, lets play fair and dump those others at the same so you got no control over anything. Standard Oil supplied luftwaffe with tetraethyl lead lead for fuel. Who layed the rail tracks to the camps? Who financed Hitler- George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany.
Until dollar will be the reserve currency, they will be able to print money to feed theyr giant army.
Until the western ruling classes will be corrupted and blackmailed, they will be under foreing control.
But please don't speak about "Americanos". average american is every day more poor, in cityes full of crime an unemploymen, with some ridiculous politicians that acts only for themselves. Yes, maybe the average american citizien is not the most educated person of the world. But we have to consider that this isn't a collective choice. It is the product of a lot of social and political factors that we have to eliminate, in every place and in every nation of the world
Question is, do they pay cash or in crypto these days?
Bitcoin of course...we know all illegal transactions are done with bitcoin.
Drugs, prostitution, illegal oil sales...
Wait wasn't there another currency that's widely used for illegal transactions. Think it was called fiat or so...
Ssshhhh overlook that fact
It is bizar that trade is illegal. It doesn't surprise me at all that countries are doing crazy things like nuclear tests in a world dictated by the USA. They are poked for decennia, off course bad behavior will be the result! Hope these 'illegal trades' will increase now we have Bitcoin!
The trade is "illegal": because China pledged to cease trade with North Korea after the missile saga. I think that no country should use their weapons to threat other countries, just because they feel powerful.
Also the problem here is not the method of payment, but the logistics itself, which for commodities is really troublesome to do it under the radar.
This doesn't surprise me at all. When the Us cut off japan's oil Pearl harbour soon followed. What happens when you cut of north korea's oil? Backing a military that size into a corner might not end well
When will they realise just because America says no doesn't mean other countries are going to listen ? They might not blatantly wave it in their faces but you can guarantee there are a lot of countries doing undercover deals yet smiling and nodding agreement with all that the USA decree
Where there is profit to be made, people will do anything to be make some $$$. No matter the consequences for the rest of the world. This kind of short-sightedness is deadly.
Treasury Department sanctioned an additional six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their ships after the satellite pictures surfaced. In the above picture, the North Korean ship named Ryesonggang 1, was easily identified and connected to the illegal sale of oil from China.
I mean can you blame them? China's interest is in having a stable NK in their sphere of influence as a buffer against the US sphere of influence in SK. NK's economy is doing pretty bad right now, and Trump's been antagonizing them for domestic political purposes. It makes sense that China gave or sold NK some oil to help stabilize their economy and probably also buy off their forebearance of US threats. Certainly China has committed far greater sins than this.
I think China is playing very clever game these days. It also seems that US-China rivalry will be rapidly intensifying in coming days as China is slowly developing economic relations with US allies.