China is also apparently helping Russia repair freighters used to transport weapons and ammunition from North Korea. Aerial photos should prove this.
A Russian cargo ship suspected of carrying weapons from North Korea has been discovered at a port in China. It is said to be anchored in a shipyard in Zhejiang province, satellite images show. According to analyzes by the British think tank Royal United Service Institute (Rusi), the ship Angara has delivered thousands of containers containing, among other things, ammunition from North Korea to Russia in the past. The Reuters news agency has now published aerial photos of the Angara.
A US State Department spokesman told Reuters that there were “credible reports” that the Angara was currently in a Chinese port. The problem has been raised with the Chinese authorities.
“We call on all member states to comply with their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2397,” the spokesman said, referring to a United Nations resolution that restricts trade with North Korea and requires UN states to engage in illegal trade Vessels involved in activities will no longer be included in their registers.
Warning to China
In the past, the USA had repeatedly called on China not to help Russia with its rearmament. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Shanghai on Thursday for a visit to China.
“When Secretary Blinken meets with his Chinese counterparts, he will address a range of issues, including Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russia-North Korea relations,” the spokesman said.
Kurt Campbell of the US State Department said at an event in Washington on Monday that China and North Korea’s growing partnership with Russia runs counter to US security interests in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. His government “wouldn’t just stand by” if this aid was expanded.
USA added ship to sanctions list in 2022
Satellite images that Rusi has obtained in recent months from American imaging firm Planet Labs, among others, show the Angara docked at the Zhoushan Xinya shipyard in Zhejiang, which is China’s largest private ship repair company, according to its website. Apparently the freighter is supposed to be repaired there.
The ship is believed to have made at least 11 deliveries between the North Korean port of Rajin and Russian ports since August 2023, Rusi said. The basis for the analysis is provided by publicly available data. The ship repeatedly switched on its GPS transponder for brief moments. This meant it could be located. The ship was placed on a US sanctions list in May 2022. However, this is not binding for China or Russia.
Moscow rejects criticism
The Chinese embassy in Washington told Reuters it was not aware of the details surrounding Angara but that China “always opposes unilateral sanctions and sweeping jurisprudence that have no basis in international law or a Security Council mandate.”
Both Russia and North Korea have repeatedly rejected criticism of the alleged arms deliveries. Moscow says it will build ties with any country it wants and its cooperation with Pyongyang does not violate international agreements.
“The ships we saw at the Russian terminals are some of the largest ships in the North Korean fleet, constantly coming and going from port,” said Joseph Byrne, a research associate at Rusi.
