UNITED NATIONS, United States — The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP. But China only agreed to target the four North Korean ships, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs. The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama. The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas. Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 28, 2017 23:26 UTC