East Asia Daniel Russel and China

influence: The announcement again places China under pressure from the U.S. and others to use its influence with Pyongyang to rein in its communist neighbor, despite Beijing protestations that such influence is overestimated, according to Asahi Shimbun. In Washington on Tuesday, top diplomat for East Asia Daniel Russel said a launch "would be an unmistakable slap in face to those who argue that you just need to show patience and dialogue with the North Koreans but not sanctions," in an apparent reference to China. Adding to the insult: North Korea launch window for what critics call a banned test of ballistic missile technology falls during the Lunar New Year, marring China most important seasonal holiday for many officials. Russel called for tough new sanctions, including what are believed to be a ban on selling the North oil or buying its minerals, excluding banks doing business with it from accessing the dollar-based economy, or even barring its flagship airline from entering other countries' airspace. China already appears to be dragging its feet on a response to North Korea purported first H-bomb test on Jan. 6. Those are exactly the sort of regime-destabilizing steps that China fears, and Beijing, a veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council appears to be pushing back. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.