A female North Korean soldier stands guard at a military installation near the North Korean town of Sinuiju Thursday. The United States today began pushing for a new U.N. resolution that adds a travel ban on North Korea, but softens other measures to win Chinese and Russian support.

UNITED NATIONS — A new American draft resolution to punish North Korea in the U.N. Security Council for its claimed nuclear test seeks to ban travel by people involved in the regime's weapons program, but softens some other measures to win Russian and Chinese support.

The latest U.S. proposal, obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday night, would still require countries to freeze all assets related to North Korea's weapons and missile programs. But a call to freeze assets from other illicit activities such as "counterfeiting, money-laundering or narcotics" was dropped. So was a call to prevent "any abuses of the international financial system" that could contribute to the transfer or development of banned weapons.

A previous U.S. draft called on all states to inspect cargo to and from North Korea to ensure compliance with sanctions. The new draft would allow states to inspect cargo "as necessary."

Also dropped were Japanese demands to prohibit North Korean ships from entering any port, and North Korean aircraft from taking off or landing in any country. These sanctions would likely face strong Russian and Chinese opposition.

The United States hopes to pass a new resolution on Friday, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said, and Russia and China have been reluctant to punish their impoverished neighbor too severely.

Similar to the previous draft, the latest proposal asserts that the situation in North Korea, in particular its purported nuclear test, "constitutes a clear threat to international peace and security."

The new draft remains under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which includes a range of measures to deal with threats to international peace and conflicts, from breaking diplomatic relations to imposing naval blockades and taking military action.

While China says North Korea should be punished, it wants sanctions to be limited primarily to the North's nuclear program. China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya reiterated Wednesday that sanctions should be limited to the non-military measures authorized under Article 41 of the U.N. Charter which include economic penalties, breaking diplomatic relations or banning air travel.

The revised U.S. draft makes no mention of Article 41, and maintains some military sanctions. It would impose a travel ban on people supporting North Korea's nuclear, ballistic missile and other weapons-related programs — another Japanese proposal.

It also again requires all member states to prevent the sale or transfer of arms, luxury goods, and material and technology which could contribute to North Korea's nuclear, ballistic missile or other weapons of mass destruction-related programs.

Bolton said there are still "areas of disagreement," and the United States is prepared for further discussion but it wants "a strong and swift response" by the end of the week.