IT’S COMPLICATED: North Korean ships dock in Chinese port despite coal embargo.

The ships docked Thursday and Friday at a port in the city of Tangshan in northern Hebei province, near Beijing.

All six North Korean ships were loaded with anthracite coal, according to a daily docking plan published on the port of Jintang’s website. Unloading times of up to six hours were listed for the ships.

Three of the ships — the Jin Hung 9, the Woory Star and the Kum Gang San 2 — had been due to dock since February, when China said it was halting all coal imports from North Korea for 2017 in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution passed last year.

It’s unclear what the ships unloaded. The three have since left the port.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said Friday that his country’s policy of not accepting coal imports from North Korea had not changed.

“There have been some reports that some coal ships have tied up in port. You are aware if these ships continue to remain out at sea, away from port, we need to make some humanitarian consideration for their crews,” Lu said.

China also reportedly has put bombers in the area on alert, which are probably a bigger threat to Pyongyang than to U.S./R.O.K forces.