By So how come I think this is nothing but a show put on by the Chinese authorities to make it look like they enforcing the UN sanctions:
Chinese customs authorities have reportedly seized 70 kilograms of the strategic metal “vanadium” that was bound for North Korea.
Japanese broadcaster NHK said Wednesday that authorities at Dandong city in northeastern Liaoning Province found the stash of the rare metal used to strengthen steel hidden in six fruit boxes on a truck bound for the North last Friday.
The Chinese government strictly bans exports of vanadium, which is used to produce airplanes and missile parts, as well as other strategic metals.
NHK said China was trying to demonstrate its determination to efficiently implement U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang with the recent seizure. [KBS Global]
While China is intercepting 70 kilograms of metal which ways less than I do, North Korean front companies are conducting business in China to bring luxury goods into the country in violation of UN sanctions.
4:47 am on July 29th, 2009 1
Where did the vanadium come from? Is it really that big of a deal? After all, 70lbs of the stuff is only worth about 30 000$. A cynic would add that it's a small price to pay to convince the international community that China is enforcing sanctions.