US Secretary of State urges China to convince North Korea to denuclearise

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke at the end of security talks in Seoul, hours after North Korea said it will ignore a US offer to resume negotiations because of its hostile policy.

America's top diplomat on Thursday pressed China to use its “tremendous influence” to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme, calling it a source of instability and danger. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke at the end of security talks in Seoul, hours after North Korea said it will ignore a US offer to resume negotiations because of its hostile policy. The talks, which also involved Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean officials, came as President Joe Biden is pushing to restore America's alliances in Asia in the face of growing challenges from China and North Korea.