The European Union on Thursday imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over nuclear and ballistic missile tests which it said threatened international security.
The move comes at a time of increased tensions as North Korea presses ahead with nuclear and missile programmes which have badly rattled the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea.
North Korea is high on the agenda of the first summit later on Thursday between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with Washington pressing Beijing to do more to rein in Pyongyang.