Trump Administration Blacklists Chinese Bank, Escalates Pressure Over North Korea

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at Mar-a-Lago, Friday, April 7, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump was meeting again with his Chinese counterpart Friday, with U.S. missile strikes on Syria adding weight to his threat to act unilaterally against the nuclear weapons program of China's ally, North Korea. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - In this April 7, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. The U.S. is piling the pressure on Beijing to use its clou... FILE - In this April 7, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. The U.S. is piling the pressure on Beijing to use its clout with North Korea to rein in its nuclear and missile programs. China is the North’s most important trading partner and ally, but Pyongyang has ignored Beijing’s calls for a suspension of those programs and its requests for high-level bilateral talks. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) MORE LESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has blacklisted a small Chinese bank accused of illicit dealings with North Korea, escalating pressure to get Beijing to rein in its wayward ally.

The Treasury Department says that the Bank of Dandong is a “primary money-laundering concern.” It is proposing severing the bank from the U.S. financial system, pending a 60-day review period.

The announcement reflects growing U.S. frustration over China’s efforts to enforce international sanctions intended to starve North Korea of revenue for its nuclear and missile programs.

Dandong is a northeastern Chinese city on the North Korean border and a gateway for trade with the isolated nation.

The U.S. also slapped sanctions Thursday on a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese people that it says have facilitated illegal activities by North Korea.

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  1. Makes one wonder how much of a loan Wonder Kush is trying to get from that Chinese Bank?

  2. I was wondering about how what appeared to be a normal story about the government just doing its job found its way into our alternate reality plane, and then I saw your note. Yup, definitely makes a lot more sense than assuming this is just a random act of government…

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