U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday China should do more on the issue of North Korea, which has stepped up its nuclear and missile program
SYDNEY/SEOUL – U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday China should do more on the issue of North Korea, which has stepped up its nuclear and missile programs in defiance of U. S. pressure and United Nations resolutions.
North Korea has become a security priority for Washington since Pyongyang vowed to accelerate its nuclear and missile programs, and develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U. S. mainland.
U. S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been pressing China aggressively to rein in its reclusive neighbor, warning that all options are on the table — including military action — if North Korea persists with its pursuit of such missiles.
“China and other regional partners should also step up their efforts to help solve this security situation, which threatens not just that region, but really presents a threat to the entire world, ” Tillerson told reporters in Sydney after a meeting between the Australian and U. S. foreign and defense ministers.
“We desire productive relationships, but we cannot allow China to use its economic power to buy its way out of other problems, whether it’s militarizing islands in the South China Sea or failing to put appropriate pressure on North Korea, ” he said.
China rejects the suggestion that the job of reining in North Korea rests with it alone.
North Korea on Sunday slammed the latest round of United Nations sanctions as “mean” and vowed to press ahead with its missile and nuclear weapons programs.
