Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the U.S. and China share a “sense of urgency” and are “committed” to addressing North Korea’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons.
During a press conference Saturday in Beijing, after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Tillerson said the two engaged in an “extensive exchange” on increasingly hostile military displays from North Korea.
“We also exchanged views and I think we share a common view and a sense that tensions on the peninsula are quite high,” he said, adding that “things have reached a rather dangerous level. And we’ve committed ourselves to do everything we can to prevent any type of conflict from breaking out, and we view there are a number of steps that we can take that are in front of us.”
Tillerson suggested a day earlier that taking military action against North Korea was “on the table,” should the rogue state continue its nuclear development program.
In the wake of Tillerson announcing a tougher posture toward North Korea, President Trump said Kim Jong Un’s regime is “behaving very badly” and complained that China is not doing enough to help. “North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been ‘playing’ the United States for years. China has done little to help!” he tweeted.
