China-North Korea Friendship Bridgeconnecting China and North Korea along the China-North Korea border./ Sourcefrom Xinhua News Agency

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By Hong Soon-do, Beijing correspondent, AsiaToday - As the United Nations has passed Resolution 2270 condemning North Korea on Thursday, China is also expected to tighten pressure on North Korea. Since China believes that it should take different action this time, it seems clear that North Korea sanctions will be imposed consistently. This is why there are already prospects of harshest-ever sanctions on North Korea in the Beijing diplomatic world.

According to a source in Beijing on Thursday, this resolution strengthens the existing sanctions regime to include a sectoral ban on North Korean exports of mineral resources, mandatory inspections of all cargo going in and out of North Korea, regardless of whether by land, sea or air, and all-round financial sanctions. These new sanctions will grip North Korea’s throat. But China has already taken similar actions even before the UN confirmed the Resolution 2270. First of all, China stopped bilateral trade of China-North Korea border areas including Dandong in Liaoning Province. You could say that the country blocked the land route. Considering the current situation, China’s sea and air blocking seems just a matter of time.

Sectoral sanctions have been already operating since March 1. China is strictly controlling its coal imports, which accounts for significant amount of North Korea's total exports to China. It seems clear that China will also ban iron ore and rare earth resources as well. Some Chinese banks in Dandong region have suspended cash deposit and transfer services for accounts owned by North Koreans since December last year. The new UN sanctions on North Korea will likely affect Chinese financial institutions even more.

Thus, China is pushing North Korea's back to the wall unlike the past. For now, it seems like China has thrown away its past carrot policy towards North Korea. China's state media outlets including Xinhua News stated Thursday that North Korea should "pay the necessary price" for recent rocket launches. In other words, China itself is making all efforts to compel the North to abandon its atomic weapons program. It seems North Korea has little choice left now.