{"id":59415,"date":"2018-02-22T05:12:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T05:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=59415"},"modified":"2018-02-22T05:12:03","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T05:12:03","slug":"north-korea-sanction-secret-ship-to-ship-transfer-with-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/north-korea-sanction-secret-ship-to-ship-transfer-with-china.html","title":{"rendered":"North Korea sanction SECRET ship-to-ship transfer with China"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Korea sanction SECRET ship-to-ship transfer with China<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

SNEAKY North Korea have ignored strict UN sanctions after a ship marked with Chinese characters was spotted in an apparent cargo transfer with Kim Jong-un\u2019s men, the Japanese foreign ministry have claimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

This incident marks the third time this year that Tokyo has reported a cargo transfer by a North Korean vessel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nSuch a transfer is in complete violation of UN sanctions over Pyongyang’s banned nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Late Tuesday, Japan’s foreign ministry said an escort vessel and military patrol plane and witnessed the alleged transfer in the East China Sea on Friday afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Japanese navy claim to have found the Yu Jong 2 – aNorth Korean-flagged tanker – lying alongside a small vessel of unknown nationality \u2018on the high sea\u2019 roughly 250 kilometres (155 miles) offshore from the Chinese city of Shanghai.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ministry said four Chinese characters reading \u2018Min Ning De You 078\u2019 (translated to \u2018Fujian Province, Ningde City, oil tanker 078\u2019 in English) marked the small vessel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following a comprehensive assessment, the ministry announced that the Government of Japan strongly suspects that they conducted ship-to-ship transfers banned by the UN Security Council resolutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tokyo said it reported the incident to the council directly and shared information with relevant countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was no immediate indication of whether the incident had been raised formally with Beijing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The incident comes as the world watches North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics, hosted by South Korea, in a diplomatic push by Kim Jong Un’s isolated regime.<\/span><\/p>\n

All UN member states are prohibited from facilitating or engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of goods to or from North Korean-flagged vessels.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is just one in a series of UN Security Council sanctions Pyongyang is subject to.<\/span><\/p>\n

The previous incidents reported by Japan this year both involved North Korean tanker Rye Song Gang 1 – one of the vessels denied international port access by the Security Council.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the news, three sources have reported that Japan plans to buy at least 20 additional F-35A stealth fighters over the next six years, some or all of which it may purchase directly from Lockheed Martin Corp in the United States rather than assemble locally.<\/span><\/p>\n

A source with knowledge of the plan said: “In view of budgets and production schedules a new acquisition of around 25 planes is appropriate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The sources said buying complete aircraft from the United States, at about $100million each, will save Japan roughly $30million per airframe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purchase will add to an earlier order for 42 of the fighters, most of which are being constructed at a “final assembly and check out” plant in Japan operated by the country’s leading defence contractor – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.<\/span><\/p>\n

As North Korea pushes ahead with its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, adding F-35s will further increase Japan’s reliance on US military technology to give it an edge over potential antagonists in East Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked whether Japan planned to buy more F-35s, Japanese Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera said: “We have not yet made any plan and we are evaluating what fighter aircraft we need.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/news\/world\/921742\/world-war-3-north-korea-secret-ship-transfer-china<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t