YANJI (Jilin) • China is said to have ordered its state banks to start suspending transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, potentially making trade between the two countries more difficult..
YANJI (Jilin) • China is said to have ordered its state banks to start suspending transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, potentially making trade between the two countries more difficult.
Branch offices of at least three major state banks – Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China – in the north-eastern border city of Yanji have banned North Koreans from opening accounts, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported, citing sources.
North Korean clients can still withdraw money from their existing accounts, as the banks have not frozen them, said Kyodo News. But they can no longer make deposits or send remittances. „This is being influenced by international sanctions against North Korea, “ an employee of one bank told Kyodo News.
News of the curbs comes as the United States pushes for harsher sanctions against North Korea following its sixth nuclear test. The US has circulated a revised draft resolution among its United Nations Security Council partners.
The draft includes a progressive oil embargo on North Korea, diplomats said on Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse.
