USA urges China to take stronger stance over N Korea nuclear tests

His remarks came as Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said he planned a trip to the Taiwanese-held island of Itu Aba, known as Taiping Island in Taiwan, in the sea, a move a USA official called “extremely unhelpful” in resolving disputes over the waterway.

Seismologists recorded a jolt to the earth’s crust similar to an quake at a point where the North’s nuclear tests had previously taken place, but analysts said it was more likely to be a blast involving a material other than hydrogen. “If this had been so, this would have meant that U.N. Security Council resolutions limiting the delivery of such elements to North Korea are ineffective and that additional materials, without which this bomb can’t be created, are getting into North Korea”, he said.

Lankov said that Moscow regards North Korean nuclear capacity as part of a broader U.S.-Russia conflict.

Defectors from the North have also previously said the country’s military spy agency operates a sophisticated cyber-warfare unit that attempts to hack and sabotage enemy targets. Now, according to the statement, North Korea “possesses the strongest deterrent forces”. He also expressed the United States belief in China’s “particular ability” in regard to North Korea. “For many years, China has been working very hard to implement these three commitments”. “We have delivered on our obligation”, he declared.

China is willing to maintain all-round and profound consultations with all parties in a responsible way, including the U.S., Wang said, describing his talks with Kerry as “adequate, profound and conducive to mutual understanding”. And blunt US threats of expanded sanctions against North Korea if Beijing fails to rein in its ruthless young leader could set the stage for contentious talks with Kerry. “Russian Federation is unlikely to suggest stronger sanctions, so as not to cause confusion in North Korea, which is a bigger problem (for Russia) than nuclear weapons”, Lankov told NK News.

The secretary faces a tough sell.

China is concerned a North Korea collapse could lead to a refugee crisis at its border. Another nuclear wannabe – North Korea – has shown little interest in negotiating a deal.

“For China, the challenge is balancing the need to punish North Korea with their concerns about stability in North Korea”. As the argument goes, North Korea continues to misbehave because of China’s mistakes, so China ought to take responsibility for punishing North Korea until it corrects its behavior. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, on the final leg of Kerry’s latest round-the-…

Washington has long seen Beijing as holding the most meaningful card when it comes to changing Pyongyang’s behavior, given its status as North Korea’s top trading partner and an alliance forged in blood during the 1950-53 Korean war.

Also high on the agenda were discussions about territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where China’s increasing assertiveness has also contributed to strained relations between the two major powers. Those steps have alarmed its smaller neighbors. “I stressed the importance of finding common ground among the claimants and avoiding the destabilizing cycle of mistrust or escalation”, he said.

He recalled that China was one of five countries that negotiated an agreement to trim Iran’s nuclear program. While both agreed more sanctions are warranted, they said that the details would have to be resolved in talks at the United Nations Security Council in coming days.