China ships no crude oil to N. Korea in Jan.-April
2014/05/26 15:40
BEIJING, May 26 (Yonhap) -- China sold no crude oil to North Korea in the first four months of this year, data compiled by South Korea's government trade agency showed Monday, in an unusual four-month absence of oil shipments amid the North's threats of a nuclear test.
The Beijing unit of the South's Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said in a report, citing data from China's customs authorities, that there were no oil shipments from China to North Korea from January to April this year.
A four-month absence of oil shipments from China to North Korea was also reported in 2009, when the North conducted its second nuclear test.
However, a diplomatic source in Beijing cautioned against reading too much into the official trade figures.
"The Chinese side has provided crude oil to North Korea in the form of grant aid, which is not recorded on paper," the source said on condition of anonymity.
North Korea also appears to have been trying to diversify its source of oil imports, through countries such as Russia, the source said.
Since late March, North Korea has been threatening to conduct its fourth nuclear detonation, although recent satellite images showed no immediate signs of a test.
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