Sanctions alone cannot rein in DPRK

To implement Resolution 2270 passed by the United Nations Security Council on March 2 against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has published a list of goods that cannot be imported from or exported to the DPRK.

The list, however, has sparked a debate, especially because it makes exceptions for goods the DPRK people need as basic necessities and those that are for humanitarian aid.

China believes sanctions on the DRPK are aimed at preventing Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons and bringing it back to the negotiation table. But China is opposed to the use of sanctions while excluding dialogue, or "full sanctions" that will harm the interests of ordinary people in the DPRK and could lead to a humanitarian crisis.