China quietly pressuring North Korea

China exported no crude oil to North Korea in December, according to Chinese customs administration reports. China delivered the entirety of its September oil exports to the United States as opposed to the typical 50,000 metric tons per month shipped to North Korea. China exported about 125,000 tons of crude oil, valued at $62 million to the United States.

North Korea relies on China for 90 percent of its crude oil supply, the remainder coming from Iran. There is no official explanation for the cuts. Beijing has not announced any plan to eliminate oil exports to North Korea and officials at the China National Petroleum Corp. declined to comment.

Although the September export cut could be an anomaly, it's more likely that the cut was in response to North Korea's July ballistic missile test. The Oct. 9 nuclear test could further strengthen China's willingness to withhold oil from Kim Jong-Il's regime. China surprised many observers with their endorsement of the UN sanctions in response to the nuclear test.

The growing threat of North Korean instability to Beijing along with pressure from the United States seems a likely prompt for China's cooperation with the sanctions. If China becomes an ally in the North Korean crisis, the tables might finally shift, resulting in an imminent collapse of the Pyongyang regime. Or war. Either way, the status quo has begun a dramatic shift.

Read more:

China cut off exports of oil to North Korea - International Herald Tribune

Chinese pressure forces North Korea to apologise -- The Guardian (UK)