North Korea lashes out: China 'dancing to tune of U.S.'

In a rare public spat between two Communist neighbours, North Korea has lashed out at China, without actually naming, accusing it of 'dancing to the tune of the U.S.' over its decision not to import any more coal from the country.

According to CNN, KCNA, North Korea's official state news agency, said a 'neighbouring country' had taken 'inhumane steps' to block trade.

"This country, styling itself a big power, is dancing to the tune of the U.S. while defending its mean behaviour with such excuses that it was meant not to have a negative impact on the living of the people in the DPRK, but, to check its nuclear program," the KCNA report said, adding, "the ban would have little effect on the nuclear weapons program."

In the wake of Pyongyang's most recent missile test, China, a few days back, said it would halt all coal imports from North Korea through the end of 2017.

China's Ministry of Commerce said the decision was made to comply with a UN Security Council resolution that China helped draft and pass last November.

Resolution 2321 imposed some of the toughest sanctions yet against the North Korean regime, after it disregarded an earlier UN test ban, detonating what it said was a nuclear warhead in September 2016.

Coal has been North Korea's main export. Most of North Korea's exported coal is shipped to China -- its main ally. Relations between the two countries have soured since Kim Jong Un succeeded his late father as dictator. The murder of the Kim's half-brother in Malaysia, who was living in China and advocated Chinese-style economic reforms, has further severed the ties.