U.S. and Hong Kong (2009)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 30, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:12 P.M. EDT

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Q: Treasury today froze the assets of a Hong Kong company relative to North Korea's missile regime. Is this likely to be considered a threatening action? Is there concern that it might be taken as a threatening action by North Korea?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I hesitate for any number of reasons to speak for the North Koreans and what they may or may not find --

Q: No, but you might speak to whether such a consideration was --

MR. GIBBS: Well, look -- well, let me do characterize some of what North Korea -- North Korea has made some -- they've usually -- they've stated a lot of bellicose things. They've threatened to do certain things. A lot of times what they threaten to do they follow up on doing.

But this administration, whether it is through sanctions and our monitoring of North Korea moving -- potentially moving any sort of arms out of their country through proliferation -- what Ambassador Rice negotiated and passed through the U.N. Security Council is part of it, as well as a stepped-up role in ensuring that we are cutting off any potentially harmful financing, as in this case.

Again, we have I think been fairly explicit with the North Koreans about what -- the responsibilities that they entered into that we expect them to live up to. And I think today's action demonstrates the seriousness of what we intend to do to address it.

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END
1:44 P.M. EDT