The U.S. has to put an end to North Korean nuclear program.

After conducting its fifth nuclear test in September Pyongyang is again threatening a further escalation of its WMD program. Kim Jong-Un, the country’s brutal dictator, announced in his New Year’s Address that North Korea is in the “final stages” of ICBM development.

On Sunday an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted in North Korea’s state-controlled news agency, KCNA, saying that the country was ready to launch an ICBM “anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK.”

An ICBM, or intercontinental ballistic missile, is a missile capable of traveling anywhere from 5,500 miles to as much as 6,200 miles. An ICBM launched from North Korea could potentially reach the U.S homeland, although the North Korean ballistic missile program has faced multiple setbacks.

In October Pyongyang conducted a test of an intermediate range missile capable of reaching South Korea and Japan that ended in failure. The State Department has also dismissed North Korean capability, saying last week that the country did not have the ability to place a nuclear warhead on top of a missile. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” said that the U.S. military would shoot down any North Korean missile threatening its territory.

North Korea’s ambitions still pose a threat to American allies in East Asia. Japan and South Korea, both long standing U.S. allies, have strongly condemned North Korean nuclear tests and with good reason. While Kim Jong-Un might be bluffing about having the ability to target the United States with a ballistic missile attack, South Korea has to take such threats very seriously. North Korea has functioning short-range missiles such as Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6, which are capable of hitting South Korea.

Although the possibility of Pyongyang launching a nuclear attack on Japan or South Korean may seem remote given the high probability of a U.S. military response one should never underestimate Kim Jon-Un. Since there are serious questions about the “supreme leader’s” mental stability it is possible that he might try to launch a nuclear strike against South Korea or the U.S., even if such an act would probably mean complete annihilation.

If America wants a more secure East Asia then it should force North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile weapons programs. In response to the threat posed by North Korea to our East Asian allies President Obama insisted on a policy of “strategic patience” relying on economic sanctions to force Kim Jong-Un to the negotiating table, a strategy which has so far failed to achieve a successful outcome. President-Elect Trump’s tweet suggesting that an ICBM test “won’t happen,” suggests the new administration may be prepared to take a tougher line.

This tougher line should include maintaining current sanctions on North Korea while making sure China maintains their UN sanctions. Beijing is North Korea’s main trading partner so any Chinese sanctions would probably seriously hurt them. Since the UN has no sanction enforcement mechanism Trump Administration should institute secondary sanctions which would target foreign businesses dealing with Pyongyang. These sanctions would probably send a message to Chinese firms that if you want to deal with North Korea you cannot trade with the U.S.

Beijing would likely issue strong protests and might even stage navy maneuvers, but U.S. is the biggest importer of Chinese goods. Forced to choose between U.S. and North Korea China would probably prefer good trade relations with the former. These sanctions might cut of North Korea from its main source of hard cash, which it needs to fund its nuclear program.