China pressures North Korea to repatriate labour force amid sanctions
China has demanded that North Korean authorities take back all of their citizens working in China, reported the South Korean agency Yonhap, citing anonymous sources. This decision means a reduction in the income of Kim Jong Un's regime.
While the North Korean authorities wanted to withdraw their citizens gradually, Beijing demanded that Pyongyang take back all workers whose visas are expiring, claims an anonymous Yonhap source.
The agency notes that China is seen as the main "cash cow" for the North Korean regime, which is struggling to obtain foreign currency due to international sanctions.
The UN Security Council obligated all member states in 2017 to send back North Korean workers by the end of 2019 to cut off the regime from hard currency income. However, it is estimated that tens of thousands, and perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of such individuals remain in China and Russia.
Sending its workers abroad and smuggling coal and oil through ship-to-ship transfers are illegal activities by North Korea, violating UN Security Council resolutions, said an anonymous South Korean foreign ministry official.
He added that as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, our country calls on all UN member states to fully implement Security Council resolutions.
Tightened customs checks on exports
According to a Yonhap source, China, "North Korea's main ally and economic benefactor," has also tightened customs checks on exports to the country and intensified anti-smuggling efforts.
Yonhap, citing analysts, adds that China may be trying to increase its influence on North Korea at a time when the country is strengthening military cooperation with Russia.
Asked for comment on Tuesday at 3:00 PM ET, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said he had "not heard about this," adding that "China and North Korea are neighbours and have always maintained traditionally friendly and cooperative relations."
