China tightens border controls with North Korea

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chinese officials have told the U.S. that they've tightened inspections and policing along the border with North Korea as part of U.N. sanctions aimed at halting Pyongyang's nuclear and missile activities, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said Friday, May 26, The Associated Press reports.

Beijing's action reflects a growing awareness about the urgent need for China to pressure North Korea into halting its testing of missiles and nuclear bombs, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton told reporters in Beijing. President Donald Trump's administration has made a renewed push to enlist Beijing's help in those efforts following a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.

Touching on other areas of the relationship, Thornton said the new administration has not changed its commitment to greater engagement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region or its approach to naval operations in the disputed South China Sea.

On North Korea, the U.S. has seen a "shift in emphasis" in China's approach to its fellow communist neighbor, Thornton said.

"They've said that they have stepped up border inspections, beefed up sort of the policing function on the border, stepped up customs inspections," she said. Beijing has also done "a number of other things on companies" that have dealings with North Korea, Thornton said, without giving details.

The U.S. has been talking to Beijing about taking action against specific firms and is waiting to see what sort of action China will take, she said.

China has signed on to U.N. sanctions and suspended coal imports from North Korea through the rest of the year, but has been generally reticent about what other steps it may be taking to use its leverage as Pyongyang's most important trading and diplomatic partner.

Asked about Thornton's remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China remained committed to "strictly implementing" U.N. sanctions but offered no details or what other measures it might be taking.

Lu also reiterated China's call for a renewal of six-nation denuclearization talks that have been on ice since 2009, saying the parties should "be flexible, meet each other halfway, and return to the negotiating table as soon as possible."

Thornton said the U.S., China and others were also in talks on a future U.N. resolution on North Korea in order to cut the time needed to take action following another nuclear or missile test.