The United States says it will tighten economic sanctions on North Korea as it aims to halt the country's "unlawful" nuclear weapons programme and ballistic missile tests.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis said North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons is an "urgent national security threat" as they warned the country's leader Kim Jong-un that the US remains "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies".
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the White House said the Trump administration remains "open to negotiations" as it "seeks stability and the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsular".
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A North Korean KN-08 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICMB) is paraded across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade. Credit: AP
"With each provocation, North Korea jeopardizes stability in Northeast Asia and poses a growing threat to our allies and the US homeland", it said.
The message came after US President Donald Trump invited all 100 members of the Senate to attend a highly unusual meeting to discuss the latest military exercise held by North Korea.
North Korea staged a military exercise involving thousands of troops. Credit: APTN
The country's state broadcaster KRT televised images of leader Kim Jong-un supervising what it said was the largest ever Combined Fire Demonstration of the Korean People's Army on Tuesday.
According to KRT, Kim arrived at the air force base in Wonsan on Tuesday morning to watch the event that was held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the army.
Kim was "satisfied" with the demonstration, KRT reported, which included artillerymen and pilots hitting various targets.
Former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said the situation with North Korea remains "very, very dangerous" but that he was "cautiously optimistic" of a resolution.
Earlier on Wednesday, the US military moved parts of an anti-missile defense system to a deployment site in South Korea, triggering protests from villagers and by China - whose help is vital to agreeing and implementing tougher economic sanctions to try to persuade North Korea to abandon its weapons programs.
ITV News China Correspondent Debi Edward said China is "attempting to prevail as the voice of calm" as tensions mount on both sides of the Pacific over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
"China is really key to bringing about what it describes as the only way forward - the diplomatic solution to these tensions," she said.
However ITV News spotted a coal train entering China from North Korea within the last few hours, despite the Chinese government having said that it has halted coal trade with North Korea.
Debi Edward added: "If it is the case that China is flaunting its sanctions that won't go down well with President Trump who in recent weeks has been heralding his new open and honest relationship with President Xi."
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