China May Have Cut Off Oil To North Korea

In a possible sign of frustration with Pyongyang's behaviour, China has not exported one drop of crude oil to its ally North Korea since January this year.

China has also imposed mild sanctions on its unpredictable neighbor since the North conducted a third nuclear weapons test in February last year, defying Beijing's calls for restraint.

At the end of December last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of Uncle Jang Song Thaek, a powerful figure who had acted as a liaison between the two countries.

At About 500, thousand tons a year, Chinese exports of crude to North Korea amount to economic life support for the energy-starved nation.

In a sign that it may be feeling the pain of the Chinese oil embargo, the North's air force cut flight training drastically this year.

Source: BBC