China Cut Oil Shipment to N. Korea (and invites Chia Head for a talk)

JoongAng Ilbo ^ | 08/26/06 | Choi Won-ki

[TigerLikesRooster]

/begin my translation

China to Cut Oil Shipment to N. Korea

China has cut oil shipment to N. Korea, in order to prevent N. Korea's nuclear test, according to local sources in China on Aug. 26.

"These days the amount of oil shipped to N. Korea from here has substantially dropped,", said an employee at Basan Oil Repository, located 20km(12.5 miles) away from Dandong, a Chinese city sitting next to Sino-Chinese border.

The repository stores oil sent from Daqing Oil Field. Crude oil stored here is sent to the shore of Yalu River 10 km(6.25miles), from which it is shipped to N. Korea. 

The worker said, "The oil shipment dropped after N. Korea's missile launches on July 5." However, other employees avoid any comments on it, just saying, "Nothing to say." An official of local government also denied the story, saying, "I do not know where such a story came from."  When 6-party talk fell apart in 2003, China also stopped the shipment for three days, ostensibly due to the maintenance of oil pipeline, but never acknowledged it officially.

A source in Beijing also said, "China reduced oil shipment to N. Korea after the missile launches." Additionally, the source mentioned that China stopped exporting corn to N. Korea as well. As a result, N. Korean diplomats in Beijing individually buy 30-50 kg of flour, and send it to Pyongyang by train. 

Prior to this development, U.S. President G.W. Bush called Chinese President Hu Jintao via telephone on Aug. 21, and had discussions on the need to warn Kim Jong-il to stop nuclear weapon's development in order to prevent N. Korea's nuclear test. Bush revealed it when asked about N. Korea at a press conference in White House on the same day.

Washington observers are of the opinion that U.S. asked China to reduce or stop oil shipment to N. Korea for 'a few weeks.' In a related matter, New York Times reported that Chris Hill, Assistant Secretary of State, demanded China to stop oil shipment to N. Korea, during his July visit to China. Oil provided by China accounts for most of N. Korea's oil import. The oil import is a life-and-death matter to N. Korea.

N. Korea imported 2.5 million tons of oil from China and Soviet Union in 1989. After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, the oil import from Soviet Union stopped altogether. Since then, N. Korea has been importing a half million tons of oil from China, which accounts for 80% of N. Korea's oil demand.

Choi Won-ki

/end my translation

[TigerLikesRooster]

So China shut down oil shipment to N. Korea, and ask Kim Jong-il to come to China for a face-to-face talk with Hu Jintao:

N. Korea: Kim Jong-il to Visit China around Aug. 28(Kim-Hu showdown?)

In the meantime, at an ambassadorial meeting in Pyongyang, which took place July 18-22 soon after the July 15 unanimous passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the North's test-firing of missiles, Kim Jong-il's view was conveyed, which denounced China and Russia for being unreliable:

N. Korea's Kim rapped China, Russia, called them unreliable: sources(Chia Head angry)

Something interesting is going on between N. Korea ans China now.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[JimRed]

Gee, if they're pursuing peaceful nuclear power , they don't NEED as much oil, right? < /sarcasm >

[Hoodat]

Somebody set up us the bomb.

[Thunder90]

The Russians have also cut oil shipments to North Korea. I think that Russia and China are having troubles with their puppet state.

[.cnI redruM]

Chia-Head just got put in time out.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Correction:

Crude oil stored here is sent to the shore of Yalu River 10 km(6.25miles) -----> Crude oil stored here is sent to the shore of Yalu River 10 km(6.25miles) away

[thackney]

Interesting that China, an oil importer, exports oil to North Korea.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #8

Export some to N. Korea, and import hell of lot more from Mid-East and former Soviet countries.

[xarmydog]

Smoke and mirrors.China is mad like a parent is when their child dos not behave.I think China will make Mr.ill stand in a corner for a time out.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #10

Chia Head would go to a corner all right, and pop his grenade(nuke.)

[xarmydog]

Highly possible.They say never try to make a crazy person mad.He has a large military that is more than likely bored and looking for a little action.I relate them to gangbangers who get their first gun,and like a kid with a new toy,can not wait to try it out.

[bmwcyle]

I guess NK is too far ahead of their plans.

[gogogodzilla]

Don't worry... we all know that President Roh will demand that South Korea fill the shortage.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Something interesting is going on between N. Korea ans China now.

Yeah. The first thing that comes to mind is short term: China does LOTS of business with South Korea. It's good business, and they want it to continue.

Kinda hard to keep that good business going with Seoul under seige, and suffering heavy destruction from an invading North Korean Army.

Long term: i've always seen the present crisis as well as the one with Iran as a distraction for the United States. The goal is to spread the US too thin to effectively move should China decide that the time is right to 'reclaim' their "wayward cousins" on Taiwan.

In that part of the world 6^th Fleet is still the biggest and toughest kid on the block. Spread our interests thin enough, and an invasion has a chance at succeeding.

Mind you though, the last part (long term) is merely an opinion based on strong feeling, the ability to read a map, and some knowledge of present US Military capabilities.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

In that part of the world 6th Fleet is still the biggest and toughest kid on the block. Spread our interests thin enough, and an invasion has a chance at succeeding.

My mistake: 7^th Fleet. Gets confusing sometimes.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Go sit in the corner, now, Chia Head. Bad Chia Head! Bad boy!

[bobdsmith]

Perhaps China could test run it's military against North Korea. Would anyone complain if they forced the country to become a colony?

[Jet Jaguar]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1728818/posts

Update and crosslink.