The US State Department on Tuesday (December 1) accused China of “blatantly violating” its obligations to impose international sanctions on North Korea, and stated that Washington will provide up to $5 million in rewards to those who provide information about North Korea’s evasion of sanctions.

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North Korea, Alex Wong accused China of “trying to abolish” the sanctions regime recommended by the United Nations to persuade North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.

Wong said that China continues to receive at least 20,000 North Korean workers, which violates the UN ban. Last year, the United States observed 555 ships from North Korea to China carrying prohibited coal or other sanctioned goods.

“Under these circumstances, the China authorities did not take action to stop these illegal imports. Not once.”

He added that China currently hosts at least 24 North Korean representatives related to Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction program or banks.

He accused China of “trying to abolish the UN sanctions they voted in in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 and 2017”.

He said: “They are seeking to restore trade ties and income transfer with North Korea to ensure China’s access to the North Korean economy.”

China insists on abiding by the UN sanctions against North Korea, and even it expresses like Russia that it hopes to relax these conditions to help break the deadlock in the nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea.