China on Monday, Aug.14, issued an order to implement the United Nations sanctions imposed on the communist regime North Korea earlier this month.
The country made the announcement in the wake of North Korea’s increasing rhetoric and missile tests but also as President Donald Trump was planning an investigation into China’s trade practice, which could have led to the United States creating its own sanctions against Beijing, Fox News reported.
China also announced a ban on all imports of iron ore, iron, lead, coal, and seafood from North Korea, putting more economic pressure on the regime.
The ban will go into effect starting Tuesday, Aug. 15, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced, as reported by Reuters. China will continue to clear away any remaining goods that have already arrived until Sept. 5. Beijing also warned the Trump administration not to split the international coalition over North Korea by starting a trade war between China and the United States, the Washington Post reported.
President Donald Trump has previously asked for China’s help in applying financial pressure on North Korea since it was the only country that still aids Pyongyang.
However, Trump has become disheartened at getting any aid from China in the past few months.
At the end of July Trump tweeted: “I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet ... they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!”
Back on Aug. 5, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions to punish North Korea. It included a ban on exports valued at more than $1 billion, Fox News reported.
The United States drafted resolutions hoping to increase economic pressure on North Korea, in a bid to open up negotiations on its nuclear missile program.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. had high praise for the resolution. She called it “the single largest economic sanctions passage” against North Korea.
But she said to other council members that the sanctions would not stop the problem entirely, Fox News reported.
“We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem, not even close,” Haley said.
