A leading Japanese daily says China is suspected of violating UN resolutions sanctioning North Korea.

The Asahi Shimbun said Thursday a panel of experts at the UN Security Council that reviews progress in the implementation of sanctions against the North found 38 cases in which sanctions imposed on the North were allegedly violated.

The newspaper reported China was identified in 21 of the 38 cases, which included the trade of weapons or luxury items with the communist state.

According to the report, China traded materials related to weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with the North on two occasions, general weapons on six occasions and luxury items on 13 occasions.

The North is said to have mostly traded such items using Chinese ports or through mediation by Chinese companies.