China provides berthing to a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship involved in arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, satellite images obtained by Reuters show, as US concerns grow over Beijing's support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, News reported .bg.
British think tank Royal United Services (RUSI) said the Russian ship Angara, which since August 2023 has moved thousands of containers believed to contain North Korean munitions to Russian ports, is docked in China shipyard in the eastern province of Zhejiang since February.
The presence of the ship in the Chinese port underscores the challenges the US and its allies face as they try to stifle military and economic support for Russia.
With Russia's renewed attack on Ukraine and ammunition shortages, US officials have issued increasingly stark warnings about what they say is China's help rebuilding Russia's military after early setbacks in the Ukraine war.
>That support is expected to be high on the agenda this week as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Beijing.
The State Department's second-ranking diplomat, Kurt Campbell, said this month that Washington would not "sit by idly" if Beijing increased its support for Moscow.
A US State Department spokesman said he was aware of credible reports that the "Angara" is currently docked at a Chinese port and has raised the matter with the Chinese authorities.
"We call on all member states to fulfill their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 2397," the official said, referring to a UN resolution that calls for curbs on trade with North Korea and for UN countries to lift the registration of all vessels involved in illegal activities.
"When Minister Blinken meets his Chinese counterparts this week, he will discuss a range of concerns, including Russia's war on Ukraine and Russia-DPRK ties,'' the spokesman said, referring to China and North Korea with the initials of their official names.
Satellite images obtained by RUSI in recent months from companies including San Francisco-based Earth imaging firm Planet Labs PBC showed the Angara docked at the Zhoushan Xinya shipyard in Zhejiang, which on its website says it is the largest private ship repair company in China.
The ship was identified by its unique Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder, which was switched on briefly, possibly for safety reasons, as it navigated the busy section of the Korea Strait en route to China.
RUSI said that before arriving in China on February 9, for what appeared to be repairs or maintenance, the "Angara" was docked in January in North Korean and Russian ports with the transponder turned off. He stopped broadcasting again shortly after arriving in China.
The US-sanctioned vessel, set to open in May 2022, has made at least 11 deliveries between the North Korean port of Rajin and Russian ports since August 2023, RUSI said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the details related to the "Angara", but that China has "always opposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdictions that have no basis in international law or a mandate from the Council for security".
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said it had no information on the matter.
The US and dozens of other countries said earlier this year that arms transfers from North Korea to Russia "clearly" violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
Joseph Byrne, a research fellow at RUSI, said the Chinese government should know the US-sanctioned ship docked at its shipyard.
"If you leave "Angara" to sail out of port uninspected and freshly repaired, then that shows that China probably won't take any action against these Russian ships," Byrne said.
Washington has repeatedly asked China not to aid Moscow's military efforts since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which came just weeks after Russia and China declared a "unrestricted partnership".
The Russian Foreign Ministry and Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard did not respond to requests for comment on the "Angara".
The company's website says its customers come from across Asia, Europe and the US, and that it has "strategic cooperation" with global shipping companies including Maersk and Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp, as well as partnerships with European technology companies.
Both Russia and North Korea have repeatedly rejected criticism of the alleged arms deliveries. Moscow says it will develop ties with whatever countries it wants and that its cooperation with Pyongyang does not contradict international agreements.
Campbell said at an event in Washington on Monday that the growing Chinese and North Korean partnership with Russia was "contrary" of US security interests in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.