Washington, D.C. –Senator Cory Gardner, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity, has long called for sanctions against those who enable North Korea’s dangerous behavior, regardless of where they are based, and applauds today’s announcement by Secretary Mnuchin to impose sanctions against Chinese entities and financial institutions that conduct business with North Korea. Gardner met South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier today and President Trump will hold an inaugural summit with President Moon Jae-in at the White House later today.

“The road to stop Pyongyang lies through Beijing,” said Gardner. “China can inflict serious diplomatic pressure and economic damage to Kim Jong Un’s reprehensible regime, but it has chosen not to do so in the robust manner that the global community expects. I have been urging the Administration for months to implement the sanctions outlined today and am confident that they can have a serious impact in getting China to take the steps needed with the United States and our allies to better deter the North Korean threat.”

China is responsible for around 90 percent of North Korea’s trade, and Beijing’s reluctance to impose necessary pressure on North Korea is what has enabled Kim Jong Un to continue his illicit nuclear and ballistic missile program, whose ultimate goal is to develop a proven and capable delivery system to launch a nuclear strike against the United States homeland.

“We are reaching a point of no return with North Korea, and millions of lives could be at risk if we do not exhaust every diplomatic and economic option to stop the madman in Pyongyang,” continued Gardner. “These sanctions announced today should only be a starting point to impose additional pressure on North Korea and all its enablers, regardless of where they are based.”

Senator Gardner has been the leader in Congress on actions against North Korea, and is the author of legislation signed into law that implement additional sanctions against the rogue regime.   back...