China threatens additional sanctions against North Korea over nuke tests

Washington Times:

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said Thursday that China has threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests.

“We know that China is in communications with the regime in Pyongyang,” Mr. Tillerson said on Fox News Channel. “They confirmed to us that they had requested the regime conduct no further nuclear test.”

Mr. Tillerson said China also told the U.S. that it had informed North Korea “that if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own.”


Earlier Thursday, the senior U.S. Navy officer overseeing military operations in the Pacific said the crisis with North Korea is at the worst point he’s ever seen, but he declined to compare the situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis decades ago.
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Earlier this spring, China announced that coal imports would cease for the rest of the year, pursuant to United Nations sanctions it had helped pass.

The North Korean capital is also being hit by an acute shortage of gasoline that has sparked price hikes and hoarding — and driving rumors that China is to blame.

The shortage, which is extremely unusual, if not unprecedented, began last week when signs went up at gas stations around the city informing customers that restrictions on sales would be put in place until further notice.
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As a noted in an earlier post fuel could become a real problem for North Korea that would impede its ability to launch a mechanized assault on South Korea and it could also keep some of its other military assets parked.

At this point, China continues to be helpful in reducing the threat.  It probably also needs to crack down on exports of electronics that North Korea needs for its missile program and its nukes.