North Korea uses China-made truck for its first ICBM test

05 Jul 2017

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North Korea is alleged to have used a refurbished Chinese timber truck to successfully launch its intercontinental ballistic missile, Hwasong-14, proving that the UN sanctions had little effect in deterring the errant North Korean leadership.

North Korean state television showed a large truck painted in military camouflage carrying the missile. The Chinese made timber truck was originally sold for hauling timber, according to the UN sanctions panel.

The truck was imported from China for civilian use by the North Korean foreign ministry, says a 2013 report by the UN panel.

According to the UN panel of experts, the vehicle, which also featured in a 2012 military parade, exactly matched those of a vehicle sold by China's Hubei Sanjiang Space Wanshan Special Vehicle Company.

The company is a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a state-owned company that makes the Shenzhou rocket as well as missiles.

China, however, submitted to the UN panel a copy of the end user certificate provided by the North stating that six of the vehicles were being imported for the purpose of transporting timber.

North Korea is reported to have used another Chinese-made truck model to tow submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) at a military parade on the 105th anniversary of the birth of state founder Kim Il Sung this year.

Last year, state media published photos showing Chinese-made trucks being used in a new North Korean mobile rocket artillery system.

While the UN ban on military hardware sales to North Korea has been in effect since 2006, there was little control of equipment and vehicles that have "dual-use" military and civilian applications.

Also, the transporter-erector-launcher (TEL), which is designed to move a mobile system for launching a ballistic missile, is difficult to be tracked by spy satellites.

North Korea's state television showed soldiers working on the vehicle mounted with a missile, which was then erected and off-loaded ahead of the launch at a hillside location.

China, North Korea's largest trading partner and its sole major ally, has so far resisted pressure from the US, Japan and South Korea to rein in North Korea's weapons programmes.

The missile, which was launched on a high trajectory from near an airfield northwest of the North's capital Pyongyang, landed in the sea in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

"The test launch was conducted at the sharpest angle possible and did not have any negative effect on neighbouring countries," North Korea's state media said in a statement.

North Korea said its missiles were now capable of striking anywhere in the world, while experts say the missile, If launched on a standard angle, could have a range of more than 8,000 km.

But what baffles experts is how and when North Korea acquired ICBM technology.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who convened a national security council meeting, earlier said the missile was believed to be an intermediate-range type, but the military was looking into the possibility it was an ICBM.

US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" in an apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!", Trump said in a series of tweets.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles in efforts to stop Pyongyang's arms programme.

"Leaders of the world will gather at the G20 meeting. I would like to strongly call for solidarity of the international community on the North Korean issue," Abe told reporters.

Japan said on Monday the United States, South Korea and Japan would have a trilateral summit on North Korea at the G20. Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be at the July 7-8 meeting in Hamburg, Germany.

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