The United States called for new sanctions on North Korea and threatened to punish international companies doing banned business with the pariah nation's nuclear and missile programs.
Doing nothing could be ‘catastrophic’, Secretary of the State Rex Tillerson told a special UN Security Council session he chaired here on Friday.
China and Russia, however, cautioned Washington against threatening using military force against North Korea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made clear to the UN Security Council it was not only up to China to solve the North Korean problem and suggested resuming a long-stalled dialogue with Pyongyang.
"The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side," Wang told the 15-member council in remarks contradicting the White House belief that it does wield significant influence.
Amid council members' warning about the potential for conflict, Tillerson had urged tougher action from China, North Korea's main trading partner.
"Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences," Tillerson had said.
North Korea, which may already be able to strike its US-allied neighbours with a nuclear-tipped missile, could develop the capability to target the US mainland by the end of President Donald Trump's first term.
Tensions on and around the divided Korean Peninsula are running high. Hoping to deter North Korea from more nuclear and missile testing, the US has sent a group of American warships led by an aircraft carrier to the region.
North Korea this week conducted large-scale, live-fire exercises on its eastern coast.
China's Wang warned that ‘use of force ... will only lead to bigger disasters’ and urged the US and ally South Korea to end military exercises.
China is North Korea's main source of food and fuel aid. While it wants the North to end its nuclear weapons program, it is wary of destabilizing a traditional ally whom it fought with in the 1950-53 Korean War.
US asks nations to downgrade ties with N Korea
Tillerson's told nations to downgrade their diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and increase its financial isolation.
"We must levy new sanctions on DPRK entities and individuals supporting its weapons and missile programs, and tighten those already in place," he said, using an acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He said that the US will not hesitate to impose sanctions on non-American companies helping the North and described China as having ‘unique’ economic leverage.
In an interview Thursday, Tillerson had said Beijing has threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests.
Talking to reporters later, Wang repeated a proposal for North Korea to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for a suspension of large-scale US-South Korea military exercises.
In February, China had said that it was suspending for the rest of the year coal imports that are an important revenue source for North Korea. Beijing said that was to adhere to the latest in a series of Security Council resolutions aimed at curbing the North's nuclear and missile programs. Other Chinese economic activity with North Korea remains robust.
China is eager to see a resumption of negotiations. Six-nation talks with North Korea on its nuclear program, hosted by Beijing, stalled in 2008. The Obama administration attempted to resurrect them in 2012, but a deal to provide food aid in exchange for a nuclear freeze soon collapsed.
"What is crucial today is to resume the talks," Wang told reporters.
Use of force ‘unacceptable’, says Russia
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov cautioned on Friday that the use of force would be "completely unacceptable."
"The combative rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a situation where the whole world seriously is now wondering whether there's going to be a war or not," he told the council.
"One ill thought out or misinterpreted step could lead to the most frightening and lamentable consequences," he added.
Gatilov said that North Korea felt threatened by regular joint US and South Korean military exercises and the deployment of a US aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula.
China and Russia both also repeated their opposition to the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea. Gatilov described it as a "destabilizing effort," while Wang said it damaged trust among the parties on the North Korea issue.
‘Needs nuclear weapons due to ‘hostile’ policy of US’
North Korea said that it needs nuclear weapons because of the ‘hostile’ policy of the US toward it, and has threatened nuclear strikes if there is war. It complained this week that the Security Council rejected its request last month to discuss the US-South Korea military exercises it says are a rehearsal for invasion.
The US is currently President of the 15-member Security Council. Although South Korea is not currently on the council it will also address Friday's meeting. As of late Thursday, North Korea had not requested to speak.
