Report: China postponing U.N. North Korea resolution till after U.S. election

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- China wants to postpone a final decision on a United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution condemning North Korea's fifth nuclear test until after the U.S. presidential election.

A source familiar with the six-party talks on North Korea denuclearization told Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun the Chinese side thinks it's meaningless to negotiate sanctions during the last days of the Obama administration.

Chinese officials have said it may be "difficult" in the near term to "draw a conclusion" on the terms of a new embargo with the United States, according to the Japanese press report.

Asahi's source said Beijing expressed its disapproval with U.S. sanctions against Hongxiang Industrial, a Chinese conglomerate suspected of supplying the Kim regime with material that contributed to its nuclear weapons program, but still agreed to the terms and allowed investigations.

China is disgruntled because Washington appears not to care about the dangers of a North Korea collapse and the instability such an event would bring to the region, according to the source.

Beijing similarly stalled sanctions negotiations after North Korea's fourth nuclear on Jan. 6, the Asahi report stated.

Russia, another traditional North Korea partner, stated on Thursday delays are occurring at the Security Council because Moscow does not want to endorse a resolution that would harm the livelihood of ordinary North Koreans, Yonhap reported.

Russia, like China, may be strongly opposed to any clause that could impose restrictions on North Korea coal exports, a chief source of revenue for Pyongyang.

It has been 57 days since North Korea conducted its fifth test on Sept. 9.