Beijing on Wednesday denied a United Nations panel report indicating that prohibited missile technology was shared by North Korea and Iran through a third country that diplomats have said was China.

"I totally deny such reports," Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters.

Hu had been asked to comment on a UN sanctions report -- which Beijing is reportedly seeking to block -- that says Tehran and Pyongyang are suspected of sharing ballistic missile technology.

The report, excerpts of which were provided to AFP, said prohibited material was moved through an unnamed "neighbouring third country" that diplomats have identified as China, isolated North Korea's closest ally.

Diplomats also said a Chinese representative on a UN panel of seven experts on North Korea nuclear sanctions refused to sign on to the report.

Hu declined to give further comment on the issue.

"Prohibited ballistic missile-related items are suspected to have been transferred between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran on regular scheduled flights of Air Koryo and Iran Air," the report said.

Air Koryo and Iran Air are the national airlines of North Korea and Iran.

Iran, which also counts China as a key ally, rejected the allegations on Tuesday.

"We have always rejected as propaganda and fabrications (reports) of cooperation between us and North Korea on the transfer of technology or transfer of ballistic missile components," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters in Tehran.

The UN Security Council imposed sanctions against North Korea after it carried out two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, banning it from dealing in nuclear and ballistic material.

Iran also faces sanctions over its nuclear programme.

US diplomatic cables released by the whistle-blower site Wikileaks late last year said US intelligence believes Iran had obtained equipment from North Korea for advanced missiles that could strike Europe.

The cables also said the United States had urgently demanded that Beijing interdict related shipments. The documents did not say whether any action was taken by China.

earlier related report
S. Korea Christians send unauthorised aid to N. Korea
Seoul (AFP) May 18, 2011 - South Korean Christians went ahead Wednesday with an unauthorised shipment of food aid to North Korea despite a Seoul government warning that they could be punished, officials said.

Trucks packed with 172 tons of flour worth 100 million won ($91,700) have left the Chinese border city of Dandong for North Korea, the Korea National Council of Churches (KNCC) said.

South Korea's government halted annual shipments of 400,000 tonnes of rice to its neighbour in 2008 as cross-border relations worsened.

It has since then selectively approved private humanitarian and medical aid but all contacts with the North must be authorised in advance by Seoul's unification ministry.

Wednesday's shipment was made through Amity Foundation, a Chinese aid group, following an agreement between KNCC delegates and their North Korean counterparts in Beijing in March.

The unification ministry, which handles cross-border relations, said it would consider taking legal steps against KNCC members who had made illegal contacts with the North.

"It's not proper for the KNCC to ship aid to North Korea after making unauthorised contacts with North Korea," said spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo.

The KNCC said it made an oral request to the ministry to ship food but the ministry said it had received no official application.

The church council vowed to go ahead with unauthorised shipments.

"We hope our government will ease tight restrictions on civilian humanitarian shipments to North Korea that have no political motives," spokesman Kim Chang-Hyun told AFP.

The communist state in recent months has asked the United States and a variety of other countries for help to feed its people. Private aid groups and United Nations organisations say millions face severe shortages.

Some Seoul officials are sceptical about the need, suspecting the regime wants to stockpile supplies before the 100th anniversary next year of the birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

Washington will decide soon whether to send a delegation to the North to assess the food need, the US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, said Tuesday.