U.S. ignores China's peninsula initiative
China has expressed strong opposition to unilateral sanctions by the U.S. on Chinese companies and individuals for allegedly assisting DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that it has listed 10 firms and six individuals from China and Russia for allegedly facilitating DPRK's weapons programs.
China is opposed to unilateral sanctions outside the UN Security Council's framework, especially countries which interfere in accordance with their own laws on Chinese firms and individuals, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday.
Hua said the U.S. action will not help solve the problem and enhance mutual trust and cooperation with China, and urged the U.S. to correct it.
Chinese experts said on Wednesday that the U.S. sanctions are part of its belief that China is responsible for DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and that it would have a negative impact on bilateral trade.
Calls to Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Materials Company, JinHou International Holding Company, and Dandong Tianfu Trade Company, all identified by the U.S. Treasury Department, went unanswered.
A person at Dandong Rich Earth Trading Company declined to comment.
Lü Chao, a researcher on DPRK at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said that the U.S. action, which cites U.S. law but is outside the UN framework, is utterly inappropriate and infringes on China's sovereignty.
"China's sanctions on DPRK are consistent with the Security Council's resolution. If Chinese companies and individuals violate the sanctions, it's the Chinese government's responsibility to act on them," Lü told the Global Times on Wednesday.
"If there were such violations, the U.S. should inform the Chinese government through the UN. The U.S.' 'long-arm jurisdiction' is unacceptable," Lü said.
Starting from August 15, China has banned imports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood from DPRK as stated in UN Resolution 2371, which was unanimously adopted by the Security Council on August 5.
In the first seven months of 2017, China's imports from DPRK declined 16.3 percent to $1.04 billion, customs data showed on Wednesday.
Li Tianguo, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy, said that the U.S. has long been suspicious of China and Russia, doubts China's commitment to UN sanctions, and blames China for DPRK's continued development of nuclear weapons and missiles.
The U.S. has always used its economic might to impose sanctions based on its own laws, Li added.
"U.S. policy toward DPRK has significantly changed since Trump took office. The previous policy of strategic tolerance was deemed by hawks as a failure. China has always opposed nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, and has urged restraint from all sides," Li told the Global Times on Wednesday.
"Apparently, the U.S. disagrees with China's stance, and its unilateral sanctions are detrimental to broader Sino-U.S. ties, and undermine trust and cooperation between the two countries on global governance," Li said.
False belief
Lü said this is an extension of the belief of President Donald Trump and other high-ranking U.S. officials that China is not doing its best to impose sanctions on DPRK.
"Even if there are isolated cases of UN sanctions violations, they are insignificant. So the U.S. wants to portray China and Russia as delinquent in implementing UN sanctions and responsible for DPRK's nuclear and missile tests," Lü said, adding that "Trade ties are based on win-win and China is not relying on alms from the U.S. The U.S.' abrasive approach hurts others, and will also hurt itself."
"By constantly inflating China's influence on DPRK, the U.S. shirks its responsibilities. By doing so, the U.S. continues to turn a blind eye to China 's 'suspension for suspension' initiative," Li said, noting that the U.S. is largely responsible for the nuclear crisis on the peninsula.
