China dismissed U. S. efforts to adopt a stronger stance toward North Korea.
China on Saturday dismissed U. S. efforts to adopt a a stronger stance toward North Korea, testing the progress Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hopes to achieve in Beijing on the final, most precarious leg of his Asia tour.
Tillerson’s visit came a day after he warned of using “all options” against North Korea, reversing the tactics of previous administrations and sending a direct signal to Beijing that the U. S. has not ruled out military strikes on China’s ally.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, standing next to Tillerson after their meeting, urged the U. S. to stay “cool-headed” as it seeks to suppress North Korean nuclear ambitions that have reached “a new crossroads.”
“No matter what happens, we have to stay committed to diplomatic means as a way to seek a peaceful settlement,” Wang said, adding that sanctions are largely an issue between the U. S. and Pyongyang.
But Wang emphasized a desire for collaboration and Tillerson took a gentler tone than in his previous comments. He warned that tensions with North Korea had reached a “dangerous level,” and said the U. S. planned to work with China and others “to bring North Korea to a different place where we are hopeful we can begin a dialogue.”
Tillerson’s trip marks the first high-level official visit to China under President Donald Trump — who repeatedly attacked the nation’s trade practices during his campaign — and will set the tone for a new administration that has offered China little indication of its policies.
The Texas oilman also met with a top Chinese foreign policy official, Yang Jiechi, on Saturday at the lakeside Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in west Beijing. Tillerson will see President Xi Jinping on Sunday.
These meetings wrap up a six-day Asia tour during which Tillerson sought to reassure allies in Japan and South Korea of the United States’ commitment to the region. His role in China is much different.
Tillerson will continue to lay the groundwork for a Florida resort summit between Trump and Xi in early April, and navigate Chinese leaders’ concerns about U. S. policy toward Taiwan, disputes over the South China Sea and a potential trade war.
