China and Russia are pushing the UN to lift sanctions on North Korea to ease humanitarian concerns and "break the deadlock" in stalled denuclearisation talks.
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China and Russia proposed on Monday that the 15-member UN Security Council lift a ban on North Korea exporting statues, seafood and textiles, according to a draft resolution.
It also called for an easing of restrictions on infrastructure projects and North Koreans working overseas.
"With regard to the sanctions, that's also something DPRK has concerns (with) and their concerns are legitimate," China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"If you want them to do something you need to accommodate their concerns. That's the logic between China and Russia's initiative."
Asked when the draft resolution could be put to a vote, Zhang said: "Once we feel we have strong support then we will take further action."
Council diplomats met on Tuesday to discuss the draft text.
A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass.
The United States, Britain and France have insisted no UN sanctions should be lifted until North Korea takes concrete steps to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Pyongyang has been subject to UN sanctions because of those programs since 2006.
A US State Department official said on Monday now was not the time to consider lifting UN sanctions on North Korea.
He said the country was "threatening to conduct an escalated provocation, refusing to meet to discuss denuclearisation and continuing to maintain and advance its prohibited weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs".
The sanctions on industries Russia and China have proposed lifting earned North Korea hundreds of millions of dollars and were put in place to try to cut off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
"What we are going to do is not further split the Security Council but to pursue a united approach in obtaining peace and security there," Zhang said.
"The core goal is to send a constructive, positive message to the parties concerned that we do not want a deteriorated situation, we do not want a confrontation, we do encourage them to go forward instead," he said.
China hopes the Security Council can speak with one voice on the issue and reach consensus on the draft resolution, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing earlier on Tuesday.
Concerns were growing internationally that North Korea could resume nuclear or long-range missile testing - suspended since 2017 - because denuclearisation talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018 without progress on denuclearisation and Kim has given Trump until the end of 2019 to show flexibility.
Australian Associated Press