China Bans Export of Mass-Destruction-Weapons-Usable Materials to North Korea

As, China voted in support of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions last year, joining the global community’s efforts in punishing Pyongyang for developing its nuclear arsenal, it now restricts WMD-usable materials export to DPRK.

China has banned export of the materials that can be used in manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction, Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement.

"As part of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2575, in accordance with articles 16 and 18 of the foreign trade law, to stop exporting dual-use materials and technologies related to weapons of mass destruction and their means of transportation, as well as dual-use materials for conventional weapons, to the DPRK," the statement reads.

Earlier, China, the largest trade partner of North Korea, implemented bans on imports such as coal, iron ore and lead from DPRK as part of the UN Security Council resolutions framework, cutting off a major source of foreign currency revenue for Pyongyang.

In February, China has released an enhanced list of goods banned for export to North Korea, saying the items could be used to build weapons of mass destruction. The list included equipment, military technology as well as dozens of different items including air scrubbers, laser beam machines, sensor devices and high-tech video cameras.