The United States is pressuring China’s new President Xi Jinping to crack down on the regime in North Korea or face an increased US military presence in the region, according to a report.
Citing unnamed administration officials, the The New York Times reported that recent US exchanges with China included a phone call from President Barack Obama to Xi.
US officials briefed Chinese in detail about US plans to upgrade missile defences and other steps to deter threats made by North Korea. China has not protested publicly or privately as the US has deployed ships and warplanes to the Korean Peninsula, the newspaper noted.