North Korea condemned its US terror listing as a “serious provocation” on Wednesday, warning that sanctions would never force it to abandon its nuclear weapons programme. The response came shortly after China, the North’s sole ally, also rejected as “wrong” new US sanctions that targeted Chinese companies doing business with the pariah state. President Donald Trump Monday declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a spot on a US blacklist Pyongyang had shed nearly a decade ago. On Tuesday the US unveiled its fresh sanctions which also targeted North Korean shipping, raising the pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear programme. The spokesman called on Washington to provide “any solid evidence” that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions.

Source: Punch November 22, 2017 12:45 UTC