Exclusive | China should cut oil exports to North Korea by half: Ban Ki-moon
The former secretary general of the United Nations – due in Hong Kong for a three-day visit – says unilateral Chinese sanctions are the surest way to force Pyongyang to the negotiating table
China must urgently consider cutting its oil exports to North Korea by at least half to force the isolated regime to “change course” on its nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes, the former secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has said.
Ban’s comments in an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia echoed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who on Tuesday said further unilateral Chinese oil sanctions – which would go beyond those mandated by current UN resolutions – were the surest way to force Pyongyang to the negotiating table.
“Given the extraordinary pace of the situation unfolding before us, China needs to at least consider a partial embargo – say half of its exports – if we want to change the current course that North Korea is on,” Ban said a day before his three-day visit to Hong Kong.
The veteran diplomat and Julia Gillard, the Australian former prime minister, are to address the Asia Society Hong Kong’s gala dinner on Thursday.
Ban acknowledged that a complete embargo was anathema to Beijing, which fears the collapse of Kim Jong-un’s regime would bring instability and a flood of refugees to its shores.
WATCH: US asks China to cut off crude oil supply to North Korea
