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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 22 november 2017
US slaps new sanctions on North Korean, Chinese firms

By MATT PENNINGTON Korea’s trade and its de- of goods to the North.
Associated Press ceptive maneuvers.” The targeting of Chinese
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Among the companies tar- companies is a poten-
Trump administration im- geted were four Chinese- tial sore point with Beijing,
posed new sanctions on a based companies and one whose help Trump is count-
slew of North Korean ship- Chinese individual said to ing on to put an economic
ping firms and Chinese have deep commercial squeeze on Pyongyang.
trading companies Tues- ties with North Korea. China recently sent its high-
day in its latest push to iso- The sanctions were im- est-level envoy to North Ko-
late the rogue nation over posed under a Septem- rea in two years to discuss
its nuclear weapons devel- ber executive order that the tense state of affairs on
opment and deprive it of opened the way for the the Korean Peninsula.
revenue. U.S. to punish foreign com- As part of its effort to sty-
The Treasury Department panies dealing with the mie North Korean transpor-
also designated a North Ko- North. It bars those sanc- tation networks, Treasury
rean corporation involved North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the the Sungri Motor tioned from holding U.S. as- sanctioned North Korea’s
in exporting workers over- Complex in Pyeongannam-do, North Korea. The Trump sets or doing business with Maritime Administration
seas. The action came a administration imposed new sanctions on a slew of North Americans. and its transport ministry, six
day after the United States Korean shipping firms and Chinese trading companies Tuesday, The Dandong Kehua Econ- North Korean shipping and
returned North Korea to its November 21, 2017. The content of this image is as provided omy & Trade Co., Ltd., trading companies and 20
list of state sponsors of ter- and cannot be independently verified. Dandong Xianghe Trading of their vessels, which are
rorism. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Co., Ltd., and Dandong all North Korean-flagged.
“These designations in- tively worth hundreds of are also sanctioning the Hongda Trade Co. Ltd. are It accused North Korea of
clude companies that millions of dollars,” Treasury shipping and transporta- alleged to have exported deceptive shipping prac-
have engaged in trade Secretary Steven Mnuchin tion companies, and their about $650 million worth of tices, including ship-to-ship
with North Korea cumula- said in a statement. “We vessels, that facilitate North goods to North Korea and transfers, which is prohib-
imported more than $100 ited under U.N. sanctions
million from North Korea that have been imposed
since 2013. in response to Pyongyang’s
The goods included note- rapid tempo of nuclear
book computers, anthra- and ballistic missile tests.
cite coal, iron and other The Treasury statement in-
commodities and ferrous cluded aerial photos of
products. what it said was Korea
Also sanctioned was Chi- Kumbyol Trading Compa-
nese national Sun Sidong ny’s vessel Rye Song Gang
and his company, Dan- 1 possibly transferring oil to
dong Dongyuan Industrial evade sanctions that have
Co., said to have exported restricted fuel exports to
more than $28 million worth the North.q

Trump, Putin talk on phone

about Syria, other hot spots

By ZEKE MILLER at a Black Sea resort ahead
Associated Press of a summit later this week
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- with Russia, Turkey and Iran.
dent Donald Trump spoke Assad was called to Rus-
for more than an hour Tues- sia to get him to agree to
day by phone with Russian potential peace initiatives
President Vladimir Putin. drafted by the other three
Syria, Iran, North Korea and countries, the Kremlin said.
Ukraine were on the agen- The Kremlin said Putin
da, the White House said. briefed Trump in the phone
Trump called it a “great call about his talks with
call” Tuesday afternoon Assad and plans for a po-
as he left the White House litical settlement in Syria.
to spend Thanksgiving in Putin also called for coordi-
Florida. Noting the length, nation of anti-terror efforts
he said he and Putin spoke with the U.S. Afghanistan
“very strongly about bring- was also discussed.
ing peace to Syria” and Trump and Putin spoke in-
“very strongly about North formally several times ear-
Korea.” lier this month when they
Trump’s phone call with the attended a summit in Viet-
Russian president came a nam.
day after Putin met with They agreed on a number
Syrian President Bashar of principles for the future
Assad. Putin hosted Assad of war-torn Syria.q