http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/12/politics/trump-china-north-korea-coal/
Trump says China has turned back N. Korean coal ships, lauds it as 'big step'
Washington (CNN) US President Donald Trump says China has turned a fleet of coal-carrying cargo ships back to North Korea this week, describing it as a "big step" towards cracking down on the rogue state.
China banned all imports of coal from North Korea in mid-February, soon after Pyongyang tested a new intermediate-range missile.
Almost all coal shipments to the Chinese city of Dandong, on the North Korean border, since February have been turned back, a source with knowledge of North Korean government operations in Dandong told CNN.
The ban followed strict, new sanctions imposed in November by the United Nations on North Korean coal exports, which China helped to draft and pass
Coal accounted for a third of all official North Korean exports in 2015, making up a large part of its income. China is by far North Korea's largest trading partner.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said turning back coal ships from North Korea was part of China "strictly carrying out our international obligations."
"This also isn't something new -- it's been our consistent policy," he said.
At a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump praised the move. "We have a very big problem in North Korea. And, as I said, I really think that China is going to try very hard, and has already started," Trump said.
"A lot of the coal boats have already been turned back -- you saw that yesterday and today -- they've been turned back," he said. "The vast amount of coal that comes out of North Korea going to China, they've turned back the boats. That's a big step, and they have many other steps that I know about."
Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort last week. The two then spoke on what the White House called a "very productive" phone call Tuesday night.