BEIJING -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington and Beijing are determined to “fully enforce” sanctions against North Korea‘s nuclear and missile ambitions.
“Neither one of our nations will accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state,” Kerry told reporters at the end of high-level talks with his Chinese counterparts in Beijing. 

“We are both determined to fully enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270,” Kerry said, referring to the latest U.N.sanctions against North Korea that went into force following Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test in January.
The U.S. and China agreed on the need to fully implement the sanctions against North Korea “to realize the goal of North Korea choosing the peaceful path of denuclearization,” Kerry said.
The U.S. and China have been at odds over China‘s aggressive military behavior in the South China Sea, cyber-hacking, and trade disputes, as well as human rights issues, but they have struck a cooperative tone over North Korea.
At the start of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, Kerry called for China to “keep the pressure on North Korea.”
China supported tougher U.N. sanctions following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January.
In a sign of repairing political ties that were soured over the North‘s nuclear ambition, Ri Su-yong, a top official in North Korea’s ruling party, met Xi last week in Beijing.
During the meeting with Xi, Ri said North Korea would stick to its policy of simultaneously pursuing both economic and nuclear development.
Meanwhile, China told the U.S. that it should play a constructive role in safeguarding peace in the disputed South China Sea, as Kerry called for talks and a peaceful resolution.
Speaking at the end of the talks, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, China‘s top diplomat who outranks the foreign minister, said China had the right to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
“China respects and protects the right that all countries enjoy under international law to freedom of navigation and overflight,” Yang told reporters.
Disputes should be resolved by the parties involved through consultation, he said.
“China hopes the U.S. will scrupulously abide by its promise to not take sides in relevant territorial disputes and play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Yang said.
Kerry said the U.S. did not take a position on the sovereignty of any land features in the South China Sea but thought all claimants should exercise restraint.
“We reiterated America’s fundamental support for negotiations and a peaceful resolution based on the rule of law as well as our concern about any unilateral steps by any party ... to alter the status quo,” Kerry said.
Kerry added that he and Yang reaffirmed their governments‘ commitment to upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight.
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)