China's oil exports to N. Korea in 2007 remain flat on year

China's oil exports to North Korea, a major energy source for the oil-starved country, remained on the same level in 2007 as a year earlier even as China's overall oil exports dropped, Chinese customs figures showed Wednesday.

China exported 523,160.27 tons of oil to North Korea from January to December, down 0.1 percent from the previous year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Overall, China's exports in 2007 totaled 3,885,362.60 tons, down 38.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data. Other major destinations of Chinese oil included Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and the United States, shipments of which all dropped in volume terms.

China is North Korea's main supplier of food and fuel, and a large portion of exports of those commodities to North Korea is believed to be given as assistance.

The six-party talks for North Korea's denuclearization made progress in 2007, with Pyongyang shutting down and then starting disablement work on its nuclear facilities in the key Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for heavy fuel oil.

The process has stalled since then, with a Dec. 31 deadline for North Korea to hand over a complete list of its nuclear programs passing without the pledge being implemented.

China is one of the countries that shipped heavy fuel oil to North Korea last year as reward for the denuclearization steps.