China urges UN action to make N Korea ‘pay price’

MUNICH, Germany: China will back a UN Security Council resolution to make North Korea "pay the necessary price" for recent rocket launches, its foreign minister told Reuters on Friday, adding the goal was to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.

Wang Yi also said he was concerned by a possible US deployment of its sophisticated THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could also be used to target China. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006. It has conducted three more atomic tests since then, including last month’s, and numerous ballistic missile launches.

Washington and Beijing have appeared divided over how to respond to North Korea, with Washington urging tougher sanctions and Beijing stressing the need for dialogue.