US says will press China to enforce North Korea sanctions

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States will crank up pressure on China to ensure that it implements sanctions against North Korea over its missile tests, Washington's ambassador to the United Nations pledged Sunday, July 9, according to AFP.

After North Korea conducted its intercontinental ballistic missile test last week, Nikki Haley said that while the U.S. wanted to avoid conflict, it was determined to halt North Korea's nuclear drive.

"The fact that they launched an ICBM test is hugely dangerous not just for us, but for so many of our friends in the world, and we've got to put a stop to it," Haley told CBS television.

Haley told the UN Security Council last week that the US planned a new resolution which would ramp up sanctions on North Korea but also ensure that existing measures are enforced.

China is North Korea's main ally and the US has become increasingly frustrated at what it sees as Beijing's failure to ensure the existing sanctions against the regime of Kim Jong-Un are fully implemented.

"It will be very telling based on how other countries respond -- whether they want to hold Kim Jong-Un's hand through this process or whether they want to be on the side of so many countries who know that this is a dangerous person with the access to an ICBM," said Haley.

"So we're going to fight hard on this. We're going to push hard not just on North Korea, we're going to push hard on other countries who are not abiding by the resolutions and not abiding by the sanctions against North Korea.

"And we're going to push hard against China because 90 percent of the trade that happens with North Korea is from China, and so while they have been helpful, they need to do more."

While the Trump administration has tried to enlist China's help in persuading North Korea to put the brakes on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, it has shown signs of giving up on Beijing.