United States and China have agreed to work together to ensure that North Korea ends its nuclear weapons program, but high level talks in Beijing indicated the two sides disagree on whether and what sort of sanctions to use against Pyongyang following its underground nuclear test three weeks ago. US Secretary of State John Kerry, meeting with China’s Foreign Minister in Beijing, stressed the North Korean issue is a high priority for Washington.
Kerry and Wang Yi met for more than five hours yesterday, much longer than scheduled. Wang said China supports a new UN resolution opposing Pyongyang’s nuclear program, and will discuss possible sanctions. However, he added, any international action against the North should not provoke new tensions. After his firm talk about North Korea and sanctions, Kerry met later with President Xi Jinping, who spoke warmly about his visit to the United States last year.