27 August, 2017
The United States slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting North Korea's nuclear programme and attempting to evade USA sanctions.
The White House "is willing to alienate or cajole both Beijing and Moscow to get on board with its strategy", the note continued.
"We have had no missile launches or provocative acts on the part of North Korea since the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council resolution", Mr Tillerson told reporters.
Beijing has already slammed Washington over the new sanctions, which it called "long-arm jurisdiction over Chinese entities and individuals".
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a regular briefing that China opposes unilateral sanctions and "the long-arm jurisdiction taken" by the US against Chinese entities and individuals.
Others believed Tuesday's move was more than justified.
Hua said Chinese authorities will follow their own regulations and laws to investigate and punish if necessary the companies in question. "We need to ask whether these two countries are actually partners here".
The Russian embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
The sanctions are part of a broader United States effort to disrupt the flow of cash funding North Korean weapon's programmes and target companies that have dealt in natural resources such as coal and minerals or engaged in financial transactions for North Korean interests.
Moscow-based company Gefest-M LLC - a company that procured metals for a North Korean firm involved in Kim's nuclear and missile programs - and its director Ruben Kirakosyan were among the Russian entities singled out by the Treasury. The firms include Singapore-based Velmur Management and Transatlantic Partners, and China-based Dandong Chengtai Trading Co, also known as Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Material.
Earlier this month the United Nations imposed sanctions on North Korea that could slash the Asian state's $3bn annual export revenue by a third over two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July. They included a Namibia-based subsidiary of a Chinese company and a North Korean entity operating in Namibia.
The measures block any assets they may have in USA jurisdictions and bar Americans from transactions with them.
