China to send tigers to North Korea

China will send five tigers to North Korea as “friendship envoys,” despite recent diplomatic tensions between the two countries, Reuters reported. China joined the UN Security Council in condemning an April 5 rocket launch by North Korea. Subsequently, Pyongyang expelled UN inspectors and announced it would restart a nuclear plant that had been shut down as a result of the six-party talks between North and South Korea, China, Japan, the US and Russia. China has since called for a measured reaction to North Korea’s actions from the international community. Three Siberian tigers from the northeast city of Dalian and two Bengal tigers from Sichuan were cleared for shipment to North Korea on April 9.