U.S.-China talks planned on North Korea arms deals

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Treasury official who tracks illicit international financing will have talks in China this week on ways to crack down on companies involved in North Korea's purchases of equipment for its nuclear arms program.

Stuart Levey, undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, will hold meetings from Wednesday to Friday with officials and private sector executives in mainland China and Hong Kong, Treasury said on Monday.

The meetings will focus on protecting "the integrity of the international financial system by preventing North Korea from misusing that system to buy and sell dangerous technology in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and to engage in other illicit conduct," Treasury said.

The United States and China are cooperating in efforts by world and regional powers to rein in North Korea's program to make nuclear weapons and its trade in missiles and other weapons.

The reclusive communist country, which tested its second nuclear explosive device in May, has unsettled security in the region with a series of missile firings in recent weeks.

(Reporting by Nancy Waitz; Editing by David Storey)