May 22 (UPI) — Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to implement sanctions against Chinese firms enabling North Korea during his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, but also asked Trump for a “100-day grace period.”
Multiple officials from the United States and Japan told the Asahi Shimbun the two leaders agreed to cooperate on North Korea, but Xi asked for more time.
According to the Japanese newspaper’s sources, Trump said the United States would impose unilateral sanctions against “several Chinese companies, including major financial institutions that deal with North Korea,” unless China agreed to work with Washington.
Neither Trump nor the White House provided full details of the April summit, and the two leaders did not issue a joint statement nor hold a joint press conference.
Trump did say the two sides had made “tremendous progress” after the meeting.
But North Korea’s recent missile test is raising questions whether a deadline on Chinese action against firms enabling North Korea is hindering, rather than helping, effective sanctions against the Kim Jong Un regime, according to the report.
The Asahi also reported the two leaders agreed to impose separate sanctions each time North Korea engaged in a serious provocation.
The report did not provide details on what would constitute a serious provocation, or whether the missile tests North Korea has conducted over multiple weekends could result in unilateral sanctions.
Xi said his government would consider measures like restrictions on remittances to North Korea and cutting back on oil exports to the relatively isolated country as forms of punishment.
Trade with China represents 90 percent of all trade activity for North Korea.
Pyongyang is likely to conduct another missile test from the same location in Pukchang, South Pyongan Province, according to the report.
