Premier Li Keqiang warns North Korea: Halt 'provocations'

Premier Li Keqiang warned Pyongyang to stop being provocative yesterday as China and the US renewed their commitment to ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

His remarks, which stopped short of mentioning North Korea or leader Kim Jong-un by name, came as US Secretary of State John Kerry met top leaders for talks on a range of issues.

"All sides must bear responsibility for maintaining regional peace and stability, and bear the consequences," Li told Kerry.

"Provocations on the Korean Peninsula will harm the interests of all sides and it is the same as picking up a rock to drop it on one's feet."

Kerry said Washington and Beijing "both call on North Korea to refrain from any provocative steps and that obviously refers to any future missile shoot".

Chinese leaders pledged to work closely with Washington to ease the volatile situation, in which North Korea has repeatedly threatened nuclear strikes on US territory. Beijing, however, did not detail concrete measures. And, in a sign that it will refrain from any harsh action that could undermine Kim's regime, officials told Kerry the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.

Kerry also met President Xi Jinping and told him his visit, initially planned as an introductory session, had come at a "critical time" for tensions on the Korean Peninsula.