China warns US to stay ‘coolheaded’ on North Korea

by Rebecca Savransky - 03/19/17 8:36 AM ET

China is warning the U.S. to stay “coolheaded” on North Korea.

During a joint news conference Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said both the U.S. and China have a similar goal, The Washington Post reported.

“We share a common view and a sense that tensions on the peninsula are quite high right now and that things have reached a rather dangerous level, and we’ve committed ourselves to doing everything we can to prevent any type of conflict from breaking out,” Tillerson said.

{mosads}The Chinese foreign minister then offered a word of caution for the U.S.

“No matter what happens, we have to stay committed to diplomatic means as a way to seek peaceful settlement,” he said.

“We hope all parties, including our friends from the United States, could size up the situation in a coolheaded and comprehensive fashion, and arrive at a wise decision.”

The comments come after President Trump in a tweet slammed North Korea and China. The president said in a tweet Friday that North Korea is “behaving very badly.”

“They have been ‘playing’ the United States for years. China has done little to help!” Trump tweeted.

Tillerson earlier Friday had said U.S. military force is an option for dealing with North Korea’s pursuit of missile and nuclear weapons. He warned “the policy of strategic patience” is over.

Asia is on edge following North Korea test-firing four missiles into the Sea of Japan last week, a move seen as a clear provocation of Japan and South Korea.

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