China seizes steel-hardening metal bound for DPRK

According to the Associated Press (via San Fancisco Examiner):

Chinese customs authorities have seized a stash of vanadium, a strategic metal used to strengthen steel, hidden in fruit boxes on a truck bound for North Korea, an official said Tuesday.

Vanadium has defense and nuclear applications — alloys with vanadium are used in missile casings — but it was not clear what the stash would be used for.

The seizure comes as the United States has been rallying international support for strict enforcement of a new U.N. resolution adopted to punish North Korea for its nuclear test on May 25. The sanctions seek to deprive the North of financing and material for its weapons program, and allows inspections of suspect cargo in ports and on the high seas.

The metal was found during a routine check of vehicles at the China-North Korea border on Monday, said a duty officer at the customs department of Dandong city in northeastern Liaoning province.

The officer, who would only give his surname, Chang, said the stash was worth about 200,000 yuan ($29,300).

He refused to provide further details, but the Dandong News Web site posted a photograph of border agents inspecting the seizure, contained in 68 bottles in cardboard boxes. The stash weighed 154 pounds (70 kilograms). The metal appeared to be in granular form.

Read the full story here:
China seizes steel-hardening metal hidden in truck bound for North Korea
Associated Press
Gillian Wong
7/28/2009

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 10:16 pm and is filed under China, International trade, Military, UN Security Council. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “China seizes steel-hardening metal bound for DPRK”

  1. Jeremy says:
    July 29, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    Interesting. I have to wonder though, whether this is a publicity stunt to show China is serious about the sanctions or a genuine enforcement effort. It does say something that North Korea at least went to the effort of hiding the vanadium.

  2. adamcathcart says:
    August 11, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    China is really walking a tightrope here: if they pull out most of their economic stakes in North Korea (hardly likely, but possible if things deteriorate badly in the next 3-4 years) they might be the target of some very spiteful North Korean nationalism.

    http://adamcathcart.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/kim-il-songs-_works_-and-anti-chinese-sentiment-in-the-dprk/