China has banned the export of 40 items to North Korea that could be used to develop nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction. The list of banned products and materials, which adds to a much longer Chinese list of prohibited goods released in 2013, includes metal hydrides and high-strength aluminium alloys, as well as laser-welding and plasma-cutting equipment. China’s Ministry of Commerce has also banned the export of a dozen chemicals that could be used in the production of “chemical warfare agents.”
