A move by the US government, to pile pressure on North Korea's trading partners, has started to bear positive results after China's Central Bank ordered the country's other banks to stop trading with the rogue nation.
China is North Korea's biggest trading partner, and the move is aimed at cutting funding for the country's nuclear and missile programs. The UN and US had voiced their concerns that China was not being tough enough in response to North Korea's increasingly expanding nuclear program and aggressive testing.
During a meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday, President Trump said more sanctions were going to be imposed on the North Korean Government.
Trump called the Pyongyang government a 'rogue regime' and a 'great threat' to the world.
Draft executive order
Reports by Fox News indicated that an executive order has already been signed by Trump, as of Thursday, and allows the US to target businesses, financial institutions, and individuals who will aid the North Korean government in any way.
Trump also met with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japan's leader, Shinzo Abe. The two countries have been the most threatened by North Korea's missiles and nuclear tests, and are America's strongest allies in the region.
President Moon thanked Trump for responding firmly and decisively to North Korea's threats, despite the county's continued provocations.
Isolation
The surprise move by China's Central Bank, to send out a memo to other banks urging them to implement the UN sanctions fully, will isolate North Korea even further. The document warned banks, that will not cooperate, of reputational and economic risks.
According to Fox News, the instructions by the central bank are to halt Chinese bank services to new North Korean clients, and to wind down any existing loans.
Russia, a trading partner, and an ally of the North Korean regime had said earlier, that it would comply with UN sanctions to the letter.
Heated exchanges
In the past few months, there have been heated exchanges between Trump and North Korea's Kim. The war of words escalated when Kim threatened to launch a missile targeting Guam, which is US territory.
Trump responded by saying the US would bring 'fire' and 'fury' to North Korea if it continued with its threats against the US and its allies.
There has been mounting concern over North Korea's ability to launch a missile targeting either the US, South Korea or Japan, which would result in a bloody war in the region.
