Tillerson says China asked North Korea to stop nuclear tests

By: 8 years ago

US President Donald Trump (2L) congratulates Rex Tillerson (seated) after he was sworn in as Secretary of State as his wife Renda St. Clair (R), and Vice President Mike Pence (L) look on in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2017. AFP FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON 鈥� U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday that China has threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests.

鈥淲e know that China is in communications with the regime in Pyongyang,鈥� Tillerson said on Fox 黑料社 Channel. 鈥淭hey confirmed to us that they had requested the regime conduct no further nuclear test.鈥�

Tillerson said China also told the U.S. that it had informed North Korea 鈥渢hat if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own.鈥�

Earlier Thursday, the senior U.S. Navy officer overseeing military operations in the Pacific said the crisis with North Korea is at the worst point he鈥檚 ever seen, but he declined to compare the situation to the Cuban missile crisis decades ago.

鈥淚t鈥檚 real,鈥� Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Harris said he has no doubt that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intends to fulfill his pursuit of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the United States. The admiral acknowledged there鈥檚 uncertainty within U.S. intelligence agencies over how far along North Korea鈥檚 nuclear and missile programs are. But Harris said it鈥檚 not a matter of if but when.

鈥淭here is no doubt in my mind,鈥� Harris said.

U.S. Army soldiers on a M1A2 tank conduct a military exercise in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, Friday, April 21, 2017. The U.N. Security Council threatened new sanctions against North Korea Thursday in a strongly-worded condemnation of its latest missile launch after the U.S. agreed to a Russian request to include a call for 鈥渄ialogue鈥� with Pyongyang. AP Photo

The Trump administration has declared that all options, including a targeted military strike, are on the table to block North Korea from carrying out threats against the United States and its allies in the region. But a pre-emptive attack isn鈥檛 likely, U.S. officials have said, and the administration is pursuing a strategy of putting pressure on Pyongyang with assistance from China, North Korea鈥檚 main trading partner and the country鈥檚 economic lifeline.

搁贰础顿:听North Korea readies nuclear test amid US warnings 鈥� report

With international support, the Trump administration said Thursday it wants to exert a 鈥渂urst鈥� of economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea that yields results within months to push the communist government to change course from developing nuclear weapons.

Harris told the committee that the financial sanctions imposed against the North Korean regime by the U.S. and other countries have done nothing to slow North Korea鈥檚 quest for weapons of mass destruction. He also said he鈥檚 been skeptical of China鈥檚 willingness to exert its influence over North Korea and convince Pyongyang to pull back from the brink. But Harris said he鈥檚 become 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� following recent talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

鈥淚t鈥檚 only been a month or so and it鈥檚 too early to tell,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 bet my farm on it.鈥�

Harris said North Korea鈥檚 pursuit of an atomic arsenal and the long-range missiles to deliver nuclear weapons comes at the expense of the North Korean people, who are isolated and forced to live with a lifeless economy.

鈥淚n confronting the North Korean threat, it is critical that the U.S. be guided by a strong sense of resolve both publicly and privately in order to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not his knees,鈥� Harris said.

Despite the depravity, Harris said it鈥檚 a 鈥渉ollow hope鈥� to think that North Koreans will rise up and topple Kim Jong Un. Harris said Kim Jong Un is revered and considered a 鈥済od king鈥� by many North Koreans.

In a show of military might, the U.S. has sent a massive amount of American weaponry to the region. A group of American war ships led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is in striking range of North Korea 鈥渋f the president were to call on it,鈥� Harris told the committee. A U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense is being installed in South Korea.

搁贰础顿:听US carrier force 鈥榠n striking range鈥� of North Korea 鈥� admiral

Harris said he has adequate forces to 鈥渇ight tonight鈥� against North Korea if that were to become necessary. But the admiral also said he lacks all the attack submarines he needs and has no capable defense against the thousands of artillery pieces North Korea has assembled near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. There are about 28,500 U.S. military personnel serving in South Korea.

鈥淲e do not have those kinds of weapons that can counter those rockets once they鈥檙e launched,鈥� Harris said in response to a question from the committee鈥檚 Republican chairman, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.