The Biden administration is looking to team up with China to help contain the North Korean nuclear threat, according to reports.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Yang Jiechi met on Monday in Luxembourg for a ”candid, in-depth, substantive and productive” discussion that lasted nearly five hours.
A readout issued by the White House offered few details of the meeting, simply saying that the two men discussed “a number of regional and global security issues, as well as key issues in U.S.-China relations.”
According to a senior administration official, among the areas of international affairs that were discussed by the two diplomats included the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Washington’s ”Indo-Pacific” strategy.
“[Sullivan] raised concerns about Beijing’s recent decision to veto a resolution at the U.N. Security Council amid North Korea’s exploratory tests and indications that Pyongyang is preparing its nuclear test site for a possible weapons test,” the official said.
Since January, North Korea has test-launched seven missiles, surpassing the number of missiles it tested last year. Included in those tests were a supposed hypersonic glide vehicle and an intermediate-range ballistic missile called Hwasong-12.
“In today’s world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there’s only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range,” read a statement by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
Officials from the U.S. and South Korea have both expressed that the launch of Hwasong-12 could lead to North Korea resuming tests on nuclear weapons.
A spokesperson from the State Department has since called the totalitarian nation a potential threat to international peace, security, and global nonproliferation efforts.
“The United States has a vital interest in deterring (North Korea), defending against its provocations or uses of force, limiting the reach of its most dangerous weapons programs, and above all keeping the American people, our deployed forces, and our allies safe,” the spokesperson said.
International monitors have also reported the country’s main nuclear reactor facility at Yongbyon appears to be operational, potentially creating fuel for nuclear weapons.
