China's Commerce Ministry on Thursday said all North Korean firms and enterprises operating within the country will have to shut shop within 120 days of the latest United Nations Security Council sanctions passed on September 12.
China had earlier put an immediate ban on imports of North Korean textiles and a tighter cap on oil supplies from next year as part of efforts to implement UN sanctions.
The UN Security Council had unanimously passed a US-drafted resolution to impose the strongest sanctions ever on North Korea, including restricting its oil imports and banning textile exports, to curb the country's nuclear programme.
The move came in response to the sixth and largest nuclear test by North Korea on September 3.
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The US had originally proposed harsher sanctions, including a total ban on oil imports by North Korea. But the vote was passed only after Pyongyang allies Russia and China agreed to the reduced measures.
Just a few days earlier, China had said it was concerned with the escalating tension between North Korea and the USA and had urged the two countries to exercise restraint and avoid provoking each other.
"Indeed, the Chinese side is very concerned about the escalation of the situation in Korean peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here.
"We think the parties should refrain from escalating words and deeds to avoid adding fuel to the fire. Parties should not provoke each other, exercise restraint and do not vent their emotions but find way out for this issue," he said.
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(With inputs from agencies)
