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A file picture of US Navy Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations. Photo: Bloomberg

US calls for Chinese navy’s help to rein in North Korea

Top US Navy official says his Chinese counterparts can exert pressure on Pyongyang to counter the threat of its nuclear missile programme

North Korea

The US Navy’s top officer asked his Chinese counterpart to exert influence on North Korea to help rein in its advancing nuclear and missile programmes, a US official said on Thursday.

Chief of US naval operations Admiral John Richardson spoke with his Chinese counterpart Vice-Admiral Shen Jinlong via a video teleconference.

“Richardson voiced his concern about the nuclear and missile programmes and emphasised that China should use its unique influence over North Korea,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The call lasted for an hour and the two talked about the need to “work together to address the provocative and unacceptable military behaviour by North Korea”, the US Navy said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump said last month Chinese efforts to persuade North Korea had failed.

Trump has hoped for greater help from China to exert influence over North Korea, leaning heavily on Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two leaders had a high-profile summit in Florida in April and Trump has frequently praised Xi while resisting criticism of Chinese trade practices.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Photo: Reuters

North Korea said earlier this month that it had conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile and that it had mastered the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on the weapon.

The United States has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The past six decades have been punctuated by periodic rises in antagonism as well as rhetoric that has stopped short of a resumption of active hostilities.

Tensions rose sharply after North Korea conducted two nuclear weapons tests last year and carried out a steady stream of ballistic missile tests.

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