US warns Chinese firms with ties to North Korea may still face sanctions
Washington seeks to keep up pressure on Beijing to do more to contain Pyongyang ahead of inaugural security talks on Wednesday
The US will keep the option of sanctions against Chinese companies with alleged links to North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes on the table, a senior US diplomat said on Monday, aiming to push China to increase pressure on Pyongyang ahead of a US-China security dialogue in Washington this week.
“We continue to urge China to exert its unique leverage as North Korea’s largest trading partner, including by fully implementing all the UN Security Council sanctions,” said Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, during a press briefing.
She added that the North Korea nuclear issue was top of the agenda during the dialogue on Wednesday. Ramping up pressure on North Korea is “clearly what we are going to be pursuing with the Chinese this week”, she said.
Washington also wants China to be more involved in the fight against terrorism and the Islamic State extremist group, she said.
The meeting on Wednesday will be the first diplomacy and security dialogue, one of four discussions mechanisms agreed during the summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Florida in April.