U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss ways to use a "mix of diplomacy and sanctions" to end North Korea's nuclear program when  they hold summit talks next week, a senior White House official said Friday.

Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, made the remark during a briefing at the Foreign Press Center previewing Obama's trip to China next week, saying the U.S. believes the North's denuclearization should be the "paramount priority" between Washington and Beijing.

"What I can say is that North Korea is certainly on the agenda. It's one of the principal threats to the stability and security in Northeast Asia," he said. "The two presidents will discuss the most effective ways to use a mix of diplomacy and sanctions to get North Korea to come into compliance with its international obligations and its international commitments."

Medeiros also said that the North Korea issue has always been "at the top of our Asia-Pacific agenda," adding that Obama "cares deeply" about the issue because the North's nuclear and missile capabilities present "a very clear and present threat to the United States and to our allies like South Korea."

In meetings with Xi Jinping and other regional leaders, Obama plans to underscore the "priority we put on denuclearizing North Korea and figuring out new and creative ways in which we can get North Korea to recommit to its obligations and commitments," he said.

When Obama meets with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, the two leaders will talk about a full range of issues between the two countries, including ways to enhance coordination and cooperation to "actively bring about the denuclearization of North Korea." (Yonhap)