The United States and China have agreed to impose a new set of United Nations sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in September. The nuclear test was apparently the most powerful conducted by the isolated communist country till date.

The U.S. and China, however, are facing opposition from Russia, a top diplomat said on the condition of anonymity.

Like Us on Facebook

"They (permanent five members) are getting very close to agreement on a draft resolution," the diplomat said. "The key thing is that China and the U.S., who have led this, have got to a position that they agree on. So the issue now is Russia."

"The Russians are trying to hold it up but the Chinese are comfortable with it in terms of content," he added.

Two other UN diplomats have also confirmed that Russia has expressed reservations over the new set of sanctions against North Korea, without elaborating further.   

The diplomats claim that the new set of sanctions would cover loopholes in UN sanctions that were passed in March, following North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in January. They revealed that new set of sanctions would target coal exports that were exempted from previous sanctions for "livelihood purposes."

North Korea annually exports millions of tons of coal to China.This is supposedly one of its main sources of revenue. Analysts fear that Pyongyang uses the fund generated by coal export to finance its controversial nuclear and missile program.

Diplomats claim that the new sanctions would list new names of firms to impose sanctions including a global travel ban and asset freeze.

The proposed sanctions as well as the ones that were passed recently mainly focuses on financial crackdown, with the sole aim to squeeze funding to North Korea's nuclear program.

There were doubts over whether China would implement these sanctions sincerely, given that Beijing is the closest ally of North Korea. However, China has said that it would sincerely implement UN Security Council sanctions irrespective of ITS close ties with its communist neighbor. 

TagsNorth Korea, North Korea Sanctions, China and North Korea, North Korea nuclear program