North Korea's neighbors warned Pyongyang that they saw the latest missile launch as a provocation, and a violation of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution prohibiting it from carrying out ballistic missile tests.
"On 27 February 2017, the Council adopted legal acts imposing further restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). These legal acts transpose the additional restrictive measures imposed by United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 2321 adopted on 30 November 2016," the statement said.
The document said the measures "include restrictions on transactions in coal, iron and iron ore from the DPRK, and a ban on imports of copper, nickel, silver, zinc as well as statues from the DPRK."
According to the document, the measures also include steps aimed at preventing training or teaching of the North Korean nationals in the spheres that could contribute to Pyongyang's either nuclear or ballistic missile programs.
"Like existing sanctions, these restrictive measures are designed in such a way as to avoid adverse humanitarian consequences for the country's civilian population. They therefore include exemptions for livelihood and humanitarian purposes, where appropriate," the statement added.
Beijing has publicly called for Pyongyang's denuclearization in the past, and has urged the increasingly isolated nation to return to the bargaining table, to ensure global security.
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005. The United States, Japan and South Korea, as well as Russia and China, took part in talks with North Korea on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula between 2003 and 2009, when Pyongyang withdrew from the talks.
