The US Treasury Department has unveiled a fresh round of sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear program, this time targeting new Chinese and Russian entities.
The Treasury said on Tuesday that the 10 companies and six individuals targeted in the sanctions had been involved in business with North Korea that allowed the country to advance its nuclear and missile programs.
It said the sanctions were meant to disrupt the economic ties that enable North Korea to expand its weapons program despite recurrent rounds of resolution banning the activity.
Most of the sanctions were aimed at companies in China. Beijing has generally endorsed international pressure led by Washington on Pyongyang and has literally introduced restrictions on transactions with its neighbor. However, Chinese companies still remain a vital lifeline for the North Korean government when it comes to business with the isolated nation. The economic interaction has mostly been…