China says it supports U.N. on new North Korea sanctions

China has expressed its support to new U.N. sanctions to be imposed on North Korea over the nuclear test it conducted in September.

Since North Korea‘s fifth and largest nuclear test on September 9, the United States and China, a close ally of North Korea, have been negotiating a new draft Security Council resolution to punish Pyongyang.

That draft text was recently given to the remaining three permanent council veto powers – Britain, France and Russia.

Two other council diplomats confirmed China has agreed to new sanctions but that Russia had some issues.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China supported further action being taken by the Security Council in response to North Korea‘s nuclear test, but details of the draft resolution were still being discussed.

The United States and China have agreed on the sanctions, but Russia is delaying action on a draft resolution, a senior Security Council diplomat said on Wednesday (November 23).

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, believed China could persuade Russia to agree to the new sanctions and that the 15-member Security Council could vote on the draft resolution as early as next week.