Kerry to press China on North Korea, South China Sea

Kerry’s visit came three weeks after North Korea detonated what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb.

The Asian nation made the announcement after a 5.1 magnitude natural disaster was detected close to nuclear test site.

However, Kerry also acknowledged that Washington’s and Beijing’s “differences will continue to test us”.

China claims nearly all the disputed waters in the potentially oil- and gas-rich South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

North Korea and its intention to develop a thermonuclear weapon topped the agenda, said Kerry at a joint press conference with Wang. “I say that, making clear we do not want raise military tensions, we are not seeking additional steps other than U.N. Security Council resolutions, but we will not walk away from any actions necessary to achieve the goal”.

“All nations, particularly those who seek a global leadership role, or have a global leadership role, have a responsibility to deal with this threat”, Mr Kerry said. Wang added that sanctions should be seen as a path to negotiation, and not as a punitive end in themselves.

“At this point, we suspect it is an act by North Korea”, Jeong Joon-hee, a spokesman of the South’s Unification Ministry, told a news briefing, when asked about reports that the North might have attempted cyber attacks.

The USA on Wednesday called the nuclear programme of North Korea as a “major challenge” to global security. Rather, he said, Beijing was more concerned its own interests might be blighted if it took too aggressive a stance against Pyongyang’s nuclear activities.

While frequently criticised for not using its leverage more effectively, Beijing’s long-held position has been to support a diplomatic resolution, believing tougher measures could back an already dangerously volatile North Korea into a corner. She believes China is a pivotal figure regarding North Korea’s behavior and is doing her utmost to establish a strong tie with Mr. Xi Jin Ping.

South Korea hopes this new approach “Dual Policy” will affect China’s Veto Power in the United Nations Security Council’s resolution for the North’s unacceptable behavior.

Wang said China is committed to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula but other values, including “the commitment to uphold peace and stability, the commitment to resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation” are equally important.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waves to tourists after he entered the famed Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia on January 25, 2016. “We can not accept the allegation that China’s words are not being matched by actions”.

An American B-52 bomber recently flew over the South in an apparent show of strength, while calls have been growing among lawmakers in Seoul to bolster the country’s defense capabilities amid concerns about the growing threat from North Korea.