Amid serious concerns from the international community over the Chinese government’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, satellite images obtained by Reuters show that China is providing a berth for a Russian cargo ship under US sanctions, which is suspected of transferring weapons to North Korea.
Research institutions in the global security and defense field, including the UK think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), have revealed that since August 2023, the Russian cargo ship “Angara” has delivered thousands of containers believed to be carrying North Korean weapons to Russian ports. Since February this year, the ship has been docked in a shipyard in eastern Zhejiang province, China.
This highlights the challenges faced by the United States and its allies in trying to cut off military and economic support to Russia.
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, US warnings to China have become increasingly stern. The US government has pointed out that China is assisting Russia in rebuilding its military after initial setbacks in the war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently visiting Beijing. It is expected that stemming China’s support for Russia will be a top priority during Blinken’s trip.
Kurt Campbell, the US State Department’s number two diplomat, stated this month that if China continues to increase its support for Russia, the US will not “sit idly by”.
A spokesperson for the US State Department stated that the US has learned through “reliable public reporting” that the Angara is currently berthed in a Chinese port, and has expressed concerns to Chinese authorities.
“We call on all member states to fulfill the obligations set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397,” the spokesperson said. “When Secretary of State Blinken meets with his Chinese counterpart this week, a range of issues of concern will be discussed, including the war in Ukraine and Russia-North Korea relations.”
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted in December 2017, imposes restrictions on member states trading with North Korea and calls on UN member states to deregister any vessels engaged in illegal activities.
(Reference: This article is based on a report by Reuters)