A Chinese vessel allegedly followed a French naval frigate dispatched to monitor North Korea’s illicit ship-to-ship transfers last month, highlighting Beijing’s longstanding opposition to international efforts to counter DPRK maritime smuggling in China’s backyard.

“A French frigate had an interaction with a Chinese naval vessel during a patrol,” the French Ministry of the Armed Forces said in response to an NK News query about the FS Prairial’s routine sanctions monitoring mission in the Yellow Sea.