CARTOON: China 'Dancing to the Tune' of the US?
What you need to know
Is Beijing trying to curry favor with the Trump administration by suspending coal import from its communist ally?
China’s suspension of North Korean coal imports has drawn criticism from a North Korean state-run news agency, saying its only international ally is "dancing to the tune" of the U.S.
In response to Kim Jong-un's continued ballistic missile tests, China on Feb. 19 implemented the ban which will last for the rest of 2017. The move also came a week after North Korea tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile, defying UN Security Council resolutions.
The Korean Central News Agency did not mention the name “China” in its report but referred to it as “a neighboring country, which often claims itself to be a ‘friendly neighbor,’” and accused Beijing’s move of being in favor of the U.S. since it complied with UN sanctions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.S. government is also considering whether to re-list North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, says a high-level South Korean government official.
Editor: Olivia Yang