WASHINGTON: The time for talk on North Korea is 鈥渙ver,鈥� the United States said, spurning a UN response to Pyongyang鈥檚 latest ICBM launch in favor of bomber flights and missile defense system tests.
Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the United Nations, said there was 鈥渘o point鈥� in holding a fruitless emergency Security Council session, warning that another weak council resolution would be 鈥渨orse than nothing鈥� in light of the North鈥檚 repeated violations.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un boasted of his country鈥檚 ability to strike any target in the US after an intercontinental ballistic missile test Friday which weapons experts said could even bring New York into range 鈥� a major challenge to President Donald Trump.
US strategic bombers on Saturday flew over the Korean peninsula in a direct response to the launch, and on Sunday American forces successfully tested a missile interception system which the US hopes will be installed on the Korean peninsula.
Under Kim鈥檚 leadership, North Korea has accelerated its drive toward a credible nuclear strike capability, in defiance of international condemnation and multiple sets of UN sanctions. The US Senate passed new bipartisan sanctions on Pyongyang on Friday.
Haley urged China, Japan and South Korea to tighten the screws on Pyongyang.
鈥淎n additional Security Council resolution that does not significantly increase the international pressure on North Korea is of no value,鈥� she said in a statement late Sunday.
鈥淚t sends the message to the North Korean dictator that the international community is unwilling to seriously challenge him.
鈥淐hina must decide whether it is finally willing to take this vital step. The time for talk is over.鈥�
Analysts said the comments indicated Washington had run out of patience with the diplomatic approach, and could consider military intervention.
The latest ICBM test 鈥減oses a seemingly tangible threat to the national security of the US,鈥� said Jeung Young-Tae, director of military studies at Dongyang University in South Korea.
鈥淣ow the US will see no point in negotiation, which only helps Pyongyang earn more time to develop its weapons programs,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hether we want it or not, the risk of unilateral military action by the US cannot be ruled out at this point.鈥�
Earlier, Trump warned that he would not allow China 鈥� the impoverished North鈥檚 sole major ally and economic lifeline 鈥� to 鈥渄o nothing鈥� about Pyongyang.
In two tweets Trump linked trade strains with the Asian giant 鈥� marked by a trade deficit of $309 billion last year 鈥� to policy on North Korea, after South Korea indicated it could speed up the deployment of a US missile defense system that has infuriated China.
鈥淚 am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk,鈥� Trump wrote.
鈥淲e will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!鈥�
Trump has repeatedly urged China to rein in its recalcitrant neighbor, but Beijing insists dialogue is the only practical way forward.
It rejected his linkage of trade and the North, with commerce vice-minister Qian Keming telling a briefing Monday the issues 鈥渁re not related, and should not be discussed together.鈥�
Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of US treaty ally Japan, also urged Beijing to act 鈥� along with Moscow 鈥� after telephone talks with Trump on Monday Tokyo time.
The North had 鈥渢rampled all over鈥� efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the situation and 鈥渦nilaterally escalated鈥� tensions.
鈥淭he international community including China and Russia must take it seriously and step up pressure,鈥� Abe told reporters.
Pyongyang lauded the developers of the missile at the weekend, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The US-led campaign only provided 鈥渇urther justification鈥� for the North鈥檚 resolve to maintain its weapons programs, the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by KCNA.
The ICBM test 鈥渋s meant to send a stern warning to the US making senseless remarks, being lost to reason in the frantic sanctions and pressure campaign against the DPRK,鈥� it said, using an acronym for the North鈥檚 official name.
Independent experts say the latest ICBM brings Los Angeles and Chicago within range, and could travel as far as Boston and New York.