SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has expressed disappointment after a South Korean newspaper reported Chinese ships have been spotted illegally selling oil to North Korea.
Trump claimed in a post on Twitter that China has been 'caught red handed,' although it was not immediately clear if the president was referring to the report or information from U.S. intelligence.
'Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,' Trump tweeted. 'There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!'
The tweet from Trump comes after a report from The Chosun Ilbo claimed U.S. reconnaissance satellites have spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels on the West Sea around thirty times since October.
China has denied the sales, which would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution that seeks to block nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea.
'The situation you have mentioned absolutely does not exist,' Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a briefing, according to Reuters.
(Photo: Michael Vadon)
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