China upped the pressure to isolate North Korea on Thursday by ordering the regime’s businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to shut down as part of the United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, according to reports.

China, the main trading partner with North Korea, said the businesses must close within 120 days of the UN Security Council’s Sept. 11 vote to impose strict trade penalties against President Kim Jong Un’s government for detonating a nuclear device earlier this month, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The move would severely crimp Kim’s ability to generate revenue to fund his weapons program because many North Korean companies run restaurants in China and a large part of the country’s laborers work in Chinese factories and other businesses and send money back home.

Despite the sanctions, the Chinese ministry still encouraged the US to engage North Korea in a dialogue to defuse the escalating conflict between the two countries.

“The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is related to regional peace and stability,” ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. “Breaking the deadlock requires all relevant parties to show their sincerity.”

President Trump, during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week, said “Rocket Man” Kim was on a “suicide mission for himself” and warned the US would “totally destroy North Korea” if forced to defend itself or its allies.

Pyongyang responded by referring to Trump as a “mentally deranged dotard.”

Along with the nuclear device, North Korea has been test-firing intercontinental ballistic missiles with enough range to strike the US mainland.

The latest UN sanctions against the regime put tight restrictions on the government’s importing of oil, natural gas and textiles.

Trump also signed an executive order last week that gave the Treasury Department “enhanced” authority to target financial institutions that do business with North Korea.

“North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development is a grave threat to peace and security in our world. And it is unacceptable that others financially support this criminal, rogue regime,” Trump said after signing the order last Thursday.

With wires