The U.S. and China are working together to keep the pressure on North Korea and are discussing at what point they will seek another U.N. Security Council resolution against the rogue regime, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Tuesday.
Haley told reporters that, in the wake of more missiles attacks by North Korea, the U.S. and China were “regrouping” in order to work out what to do next.
“Nothing is changing North Korea’s actions, and so it’s regrouping and saying ‘what are we going to do?’” she said. “If this is going to happen every other day how should we respond in a way that we actually stop these things or slow it down?”
Diplomats told Reuters that the Chinese have indicated they are only prepared to act if North Korea conducts a long-range missile launch or a nuclear test. They see the ballistic missile tests as acts that do not require further U.N. sanctions.
In her remarks at the U.N., Haley appeared optimistic about China’s push against North Korea and believes that it is with the Chinese where efforts will be most effective.
“I do believe, and the administration believes, that China is doing backchannel networking with North Korea in a way that’s getting them to try and stop the nuclear testing,” she said. “We believe they are being productive we do think they are trying to counter what is happening now and they have the lay of the land.”
“We’re going to keep pressure on China but we’re going to continue to work with them in any way they think is best, and I think that we’ll decide this week on what that looks like” she added.
The U.N. Security Council has been weighing more sanctions against the country — a move supported by the Trump administration, which has taken a hard line against North Korean aggression.
In April, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson noted that North Korea has threatened nuclear strikes and warned the U.N. against “standing idly by” as it ramps up its aggression
“Indeed, the DPRK has repeatedly claimed it plans to conduct such a strike,” Tillerson said. “Given that rhetoric, the United States cannot idly stand by.”
“Nor can other members of this council who are within striking distance of North Korean missiles,” Tillerson said, noting that diplomatic efforts to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons program for the past two decades “has failed.”
Since then, the rogue regime has launched a number of ballistic missiles. It has also said it will not back down in the face of sanctions and international pressure.
Haley said Tuesday that one of the things to be discussed between the U.S. and China this week is when to push for a new Security Council resolution.
“‘At what point do we do the resolution’ is the discussion we’re having now,” she said.
Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.
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