China and Russia on Thursday blocked a United States-led (US) effort to impose United Nations (UN) sanctions on five North Koreans in response to the series of recent missile launches by the country.
The proposal was introduced by Washington during a closed-door council meeting on North Korea. China’s veto was followed by Russia’s decision to similarly oppose the move. According to the UN’s current rules, the block period lasts for six months. After that, another council member holds the power to extend the block for three more months and one day, before the proposal is permanently dismissed from the negotiating table.
The UN meeting comes after the Biden administration decided to impose multiple sanctions on Pyongyang over a series of missile tests earlier this month. On January 12, the Treasury Department announced that it was imposing penalties on five North Korean officials over their roles in obtaining equipment and technology for the country’s missile programs and for their broader support of North Korea’s mass destruction activities.
Today, OFAC designated 5 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) individuals responsible for procuring goods for the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile-related programs.
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) January 12, 2022
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As per the US Treasury Department, one of the sanctioned North Koreans is Choe Myong Hyon. Choe is based in Russia and has provided support to Pyongyang’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), which is already subject to sanctions. In addition, the measures also targeted four China-based North Korean representatives of organisations related to SANS, including Sim Kwang Sok, Kim Song Hun, Kang Chol Hak, and Pyon Kwang Chol. Following these measures, Washington launched a campaign with the UN to sanction the same five individuals.
Historically, China being the North’s largest economic benefactor has often tried to prevent multilateral organisations from taking punitive measures against it. Russia has also followed suit as it has a vested interest in appeasing its volatile neighbour, North Korea, and maintaining stability on the peninsula.
Last October, keeping in mind the “famine-like” situation in North Korea, Russia, along with China, urged the UN Security Council to remove sanctions on inter-Korean rail and road cooperation projects and on North Korea’s statues, seafood and textiles exports. They also called for a removal of bans on North Korean citizens working abroad and a withdrawal of caps on the country’s refined petroleum imports.
Although China has acted as the protector of the North, at the same time, it also imposed UN sanctions on North Korea in 2017 as a punishment for nuclear and missile tests. Yet, despite certain points of contention, the two sides maintain diplomatic ties. Recently, they renewed the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance for another 20 years.