China and US kick off security talks amid tensions on Korean peninsula

China and the United States held their first diplomatic and security dialogue in Washington on Wednesday amid rising tensions on the ­Korean peninsula.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis hosted Chinese foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi and PLA General Fang Fenghui, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission for the talks at the State Department. The diplomatic and security dialogue is one of four high-level mechanisms established during the Mar-a-Lago meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Florida in April.

The other three are discussion focused on economics, law ­enforcement and cybersecurity, and social, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Trump has been counting on China to use its economic leverage with the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as American concern grows over Pyongyang’s acceleration ­towards having a nuclear missile that can strike the US mainland. Trump tweeted on the eve of the security dialogue: “While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi and China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried.”

In Beijing, officials insisted they had not given up hope of influencing Pyongyang but said the problem was not China’s alone. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was not the “focus and the crux” of the ­crisis. “In order to resolve the ­Korean peninsula nuclear issue, China has been making unremitting efforts and we have been playing an important and constructive role,” Geng said.