BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday he had won a commitment from China to help bring a belligerent North Korea back to nuclear disarmament talks, even as he butted heads with Chinese leaders over a series of increasingly aggressive steps Beijing has taken to assert itself in territorial disputes with its smaller neighbors.

Kerry met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials as he sought to underscore the Obama administration’s commitment to refocusing U.S. foreign policy on the Asia-Pacific region amid myriad other global priorities. He addressed issues ranging from climate change, human rights and rule of law, to Syria and Iran with his Chinese hosts.