U.S. Surprises China with Evidence of N.Korean Smuggling

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan took Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe off guard on June 1 by giving him a book of photos and satellite images of North Korean oil tankers involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers, AP reported Wednesday.

Shanahan handed the book to Wei as a gift before they started talks in Singapore. As soon as Wei realized what was inside he hastily handed it over to an aide.

Each page carries captions with dates, locations and details of illegal ship-to-ship transfers, providing clear evidence that North Korea continues to violate international sanctions in waters off the Chinese coast.

"Shanahan devised the book to show that enforcement of UN sanctions off the Chinese coast is 'an area for potential coordination and collaboration' with the Chinese military," the Washington Post quoted a Pentagon spokesman as saying.

Washington has also submitted to the UN Security Council a report that the North has already breached this year's import limit of 500,000 barrels of oil through illegal ship-to-ship transfers.