IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Ministry: Trade with DPRK legitimate

The current mineral resources trade between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea accords with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and China's domestic laws, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, said on Wednesday that China's purchases of coal and other economic activities have created a lifeline for the DPRK that reduces the impact of global sanctions. Geng Shuang said the cause of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue do not rest with China. The core of the issue is the conflict between the DPRK and the US, he said.