BANGKOK: The United States will ask China, North Korea’s primary ally, to help rein in Pyongyang after it tested a missile that could hit the US mainland, an official said Friday.
“It will definitely be part of our diplomacy to try to get China to join the countries that are on record condemning this today,” said a senior official accompanying US Vice President Kamala Harris on an Asia trip.
The United States wants China “to use its influence to persuade the DPRK,” he said, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name.
The official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, confirmed Japan’s account that the missile – the latest in a blitz of North Korean launches – was of a long range.
North Korea fires suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, lands near Japan
“Today’s action was further escalation,” the official said, as the missile has “the capability of reaching the United States and many other countries around the world”.
Harris, attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum summit in Bangkok, took part in a session Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping but did not meet one-on-one with him, the official said.
Xi met for three hours Monday on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali with US President Joe Biden, who voiced confidence that Beijing does not want to see a further escalation by Pyongyang.
Harris met jointly in Bangkok on the North Korean launch with the prime ministers of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
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The official said that Harris called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on North Korea, a stance earlier shared with reporters by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“The United States does believe that the Security Council should meet and discuss this issue,” the US official said.
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