29 November 2017•Update: 30 November 2017
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump said “additional major sanctions” will be imposed Wednesday on North Korea in the wake of a major ballistic missile test.
He made the announcement shortly after a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China is a major trading partner of North Korea, and any sanctions the U.S. imposes would be significantly bolstered with Beijing's cooperation.
During the call, Trump "emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization", according to the White House.
On Tuesday, the North tested an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile which the country's state-run KCNA news agency identified as the Hwasong-15. It said the missile is capable of carrying out a nuclear strike on "the whole mainland of the U.S."
The launch came after more than two months without a North Korean nuclear or missile test, but the country tested a pair of Hwasong-14s in July and has repeatedly ignored global efforts to deter such "provocations" through sanctions.
However, Pyongyang insisted in Wednesday's announcement that it will "make every possible effort to serve the noble purpose of defending the peace and stability of the world".
Such claims have fallen flat with the U.S. and the international community who have rallied to thwart the North's ballistic missile and nuclear programs through a widespread sanctions campaign.
The U.S. moved last week to ratchet up its economic penalties by reinstating its designation of Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism while successive blacklistings have targeted North Korean shipping companies and Chinese businesses.
During Trump's call with Xi, he emphasized "the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime", according to the White House.
It is unclear if the sanctions Trump promised Wednesday are U.S. or UN-related.
