North Korea continues to pursue nuclear and ballistic missile technologies but the United States does not believe it is in a position to \u201ctip\u201d one of them with a nuclear warhead, State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. North Korea\u2019s leader, Kim Jong-un, said on Sunday , raising the prospect of putting parts of the United States within range. \u201cWe do not believe that at this point in time he has the capability to tip one of these with a nuclear warhead … but we do know that he continues to want to have those capabilities and the programmes continue to march in that direction,\u201d Kirby told reporters. Asked whether he would agree with president-elect Donald Trump\u2019s assessment that China was not helping to contain North Korea\u2019s nuclear ambitions, Kirby said: \u201cWe would not agree with that assessment.\u201d Trump, who will take office on January 20, that North Korea would not be allowed to complete a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, although he did not say how he would stop it. \u201cIt won\u2019t happen!\u201d he said on Twitter. Trump\u2019s transition spokesman, Sean Spicer, said the tweet spoke for itself but added that it meant, \u201cUnder his watch he\u2019s going to make sure that that doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d Pyongyang\u2019s action will be discussed at a meeting in Washington on Thursday between the United States, Japan and South Korea, led by Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Kirby said. \u201cNo question that tensions on the Korean peninsula will be a topic of discussion [but] where that is going to take us, especially in light of Kim Jong-un\u2019s speech, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Kirby said. Asked about the possibility of more sanctions against Pyongyang, he added: \u201cWe haven\u2019t ruled out the possibility of additional sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n