A top Chinese diplomat said the U.S. should “abandon the belief” that sanctions are the answer as Washington continues to push the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to adopt new sanctions against North Korea.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations announced a joint statement on Thursday on behalf of the U.S. and seven other countries after multiple North Korean ballistic missile tests this month.

“We urge the 1718 Committee to proactively support implementation of the Security Council resolutions addressing the DPRK. This includes sanctions designations for those contributing to the DPRK’s unlawful weapons programs, like those the United States proposed