U.S. Proposes Tough New Sanctions On North Korea — With China's Support

In the wake of North Korea's nuclear weapons test last month and its long-range missile test in early February, the U.S. and China have agreed on a draft U.N. resolution imposing new sanctions on Pyongyang. North Korea is already under a raft of international sanctions, but the new proposal would tighten them and impose new bans.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power tells NPR's Robert Siegel that the resolution, submitted Thursday to the Security Council, "is nearly unprecedented in many respects and is the toughest sanctions resolution that has been put forward in more than two decades." A vote is expected in the coming days.

The proposed resolution includes imposing mandatory inspection of all cargo leaving or entering North Korea and a ban on the sale of all small arms and other conventional weapons to North Korea. It also limits or bans certain exports and prohibits supplying North Korea with aviation fuel, including rocket fuel.

China is North Korea's most important ally and historically has opposed punishing the regime. But it has given support to past Security Council resolutionsimposing sanctions on Pyongyang.

Power notes that the relationship between the two countries has grown more complicated recently.

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