Beijing's efforts do not stop at diplomacy.
In a subtle move, China announced via the English-language service of its official Xinhua news agency last week the release of a North Korean coal freighter that had been detained over a business dispute with a Singaporean firm and released only after the North Koreans paid 6.6 million yuan (US$797,300) bail.
Wu Xingjiang, of the Ningbo Maritime Court, which detained the North Korean ship, said the court merely handled a business dispute "in line with international maritime procedural law."
But the unprecedented seizure of the boat and release of the report on state-run Xinhua should be read as a signal to Pyongyang -- "especially given the context of talk of blockades," the second diplomat said.
In March, China briefly cut off vital oil shipments to energy-starved North Korea, citing technical problems. Analysts said that move helped prod North Korea to join the April talks.
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