The US has accused China of attempting to block an informal UN Security Council meeting on North Korea's human rights abuses that sought to bring attention to the country's increasing repression.
China, along with Russia argued that the Security Council is not tasked with discussing human rights issues, rather that such meetings must be confined to other UN groups such as the UN Human Rights Council.
While each member has to agree to webcasting of meetings, China's objection resulted in the kind of live broadcast being cancelled.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN subsequently stated that certain members of the council will effectively act in the interests of shielding the regime from accountability.
However, the meeting will be made public, and the US and its Western allies will continue to speak out against North Korea's human rights abuses and the threat it poses to international peace.
A UN meeting on North Korea's human rights abuses was blocked by China, drawing criticism from the US and its Western allies, who called it an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to shield the regime from accountability.
China and Russia argued that such issues should be left to other bodies like the UN Human Rights Council.
Beijing had also objected to webcasting but the meeting will still be made public.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN described the move by some council members as an attempt to shield North Korea's "atrocities from the world".
She claimed the US, along with its Western allies and experts, will continue to speak out against Pyongyang's abuses and threats to international peace.
James Turpin, a senior UN official, suggested the North Korean authorities needed to cooperate with the international community on human rights issues to improve living conditions in the country.