China Merchants Bank says not involved in any probe related to sanction violations

China Merchants Bank said on Tuesday that it complies with related United Nations resolutions and Chinese laws, and is not involved in any investigations related to possible violations of sanctions. The Washington Post reported on Monday that three large Chinese banks could lose their access to the U.S. financial system after a judge found them in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas in a probe into violation of North Korean sanctions.

The three banks were not identified by the judge, but details in the court ruling align with a 2017 civil forfeiture action against Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, according to the report. China Merchants Bank is aware of the Washington Post report, the Shanghai-listed lender said in a statement to Reuters, when asked to comment on the article.