A Chinese company is suspected of providing components for a mobile missile platform showcased in a recent parade in North Korea, Reuters reported Saturday quoting a U.S. official. "The Obama administration suspects the Chinese manufacturer sold the chassis -- not the entire vehicle -- and may have believed it was for civilian purposes, which means it would not be an intentional violation of UN sanctions," the news agency said.

The White House plans to convey its concerns to China to ratchet up pressure on Beijing to tighten enforcement of international sanctions on North Korea.

Some experts believe North Korea imported the chassis for the 16-wheeled transporter and then added the launcher and other equipment needed to fire the missile.

A rocket is carried by a military vehicle during a parade to celebrate the centenary of Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang on April 15, 2012 in this picture released by North Korea's KCNA.

But the missile it was carrying was at any rate likely fake. "The North Korean missile appears to have been made of layers of paper," the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted U.S. missile expert David Wright as saying Saturday.

A government official here said, "Many countries feature mock-ups rather than the expensive, actual versions of missiles during military parades, and North Korea probably did the same thing." But the official added that North Korea appears to be "in the final stage" of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile.