As China and the US finally agree on the terms of United Nations (UN) sanctions against North Korea, Beijing has reiterated that the punishment should be directed at  reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile programme and should not affect ordinary people in the hermit country.

After nearly two months of negotiations between Washington and Beijing, China finally agreed on Thursday to a US proposal that would 'hurt' North Korean President Kim Jong-un and other top ranking officials involved in the country's nuclear and missile activities.

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The sanctions reportedly requires UN member-states to conduct mandatory inspections of all North Korean cargo ships passing through their territories.

                                                                Gold exports

The UN draft, according to Reuters, also bans gold exports as well as coal from Pyongyang if it can be proved that the coal proceeds are being used to fund Kim's nuclear arsenal and missiles programme.

On China's part, the sanctions include stepping up its inspections of North Korea's cargo at sea ports such as Dalian and in the border city of Dandong. Much of the trade exchanges between the two nations pass through the border city.

China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korean trade, has had it with Pyongyang's belligerency and wants to punish its ally for nuclear violations, but not to the point of creating a crisis in the country.

                                                             Mineral exports

The draft resolution reportedly targets North Korea's heavy reliance on mineral exports by banning the sale of North Korean coal, iron and iron ore if it is found that profits from the exports are being used to fund its nuclear weaponry.

Minerals which are 'exclusively' used for livelihood purposes are exempt from the ban. Analysts, however, say the sale of minerals would be impossible to monitor.

"You can't determine which part of the mineral trade is related to people's livelihoods or not," said Choi Kyung-soo, head of the North Korea Resources Institute in Seoul.

                                                             Coal

Chinese customs data shows that around US$852 million worth of North Korean coal was imported by China last year and US$73 million worth of ore and iron ore were bought by China from Pyongyang in the same period.

China has repeatedly said that the new UN sanctions should not be made to drive away Pyongyang, but to convince the nation to return to the negotiating table and abandon its nuclear programme.

Political analysts have said the round of new sanctions will hurt the already moribund economy of North Korea and possibly create a 'humanitarian problem.'

TagsUN sanctions, Pyongyang, gold exports, coal, china