The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on a US-drafted resolution that seeks to toughen sanctions on North Korea in response to its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, diplomats say.
The draft, seen by Reuters on Thursday, seeks to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum product exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and demand the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 12 months.
It would also cap crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year. The United States has been calling on China to limit its oil supply to its neighbour and ally.
The text was circulated to the 15-member council on Thursday. While it was not immediately clear how China would vote, traditionally a draft on North Korea is not given to all members until it is agreed by Beijing and Washington.
The US has been negotiating with China on the draft resolution for the past week, diplomats said. If adopted, it would be the 10th resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.
To pass, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
The United States late last month warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced missile, putting the US mainland within range.
UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman visited Pyongyang earlier this month - the first senior UN official to do so since 2011 - and said North Korean officials did commit to talks, but he believes he left "the door ajar."
The US-drafted resolution repeats previous language by reaffirming the council's "support for the Six Party Talks, calls for their resumption." So-called six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program stalled in 2008.
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