Why have China and Russia vetoed a United States resolution against North Korea

Russia and China have blocked a US Security Council resolution against North Korea over its use of ballistic missiles. In a Security Council vote on Thursday night, 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, but it could not be passed due to vetoes by China and Russia.

If passed, the proposal would further reduce North Korea’s legal oil imports. The United States has called for tougher sanctions on North Korea, following the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile test on Wednesday.

China is considered North Korea’s closest ally in the United Nations. China and Russia have said they will issue a non-binding statement instead of imposing new sanctions on North Korea.

North Korean Ballistic Missile Test (file photo)

 

Zhang Jun, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States should focus on resolving the issue politically, rather than imposing unilateral sanctions. He added that the imposition of sanctions would only worsen the humanitarian situation in North Korea.

UN Security Council calls on Pyongyang to suspend uranium enrichment China and Russia agreed to the sanctions. However, analysts believe that Moscow and Beijing are tightening their grip on the sanctions as the United States and Europe have recently imposed tougher sanctions on Russia.