Local Editor

A top US diplomat urged China on Wednesday to "show leadership" in international efforts to sanction Pyongyang following its fourth nuclear test.

US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, noted that China had a particular role to play given its "special relationship" with its reclusive neighbor.

As Washington seeks to ramp up pressure on Beijing, Blinken will meet with Chinese diplomats in the capital on Thursday ahead of a scheduled trip to China by US Secretary of State John Kerry next week.

China is North Korea's chief diplomatic protector and economic benefactor, but traditional ties became strained as Beijing's patience has worn thin with Pyongyang's behavior and unwillingness to rein in its nuclear weapons ambitions.

But according to analysts, China's leverage over Pyongyang is mitigated by its overriding fear of a North Korean collapse and the prospect of a reunified, US-allied Korea directly on its border.

"Every country in this region wants stability. North Korea is the greatest source of instability in the region," the visiting US envoy said. "Together, collectively, we have to deal with that," he added.

Blinken's trip is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic exchanges focused on Northeast Asia, as the international community seeks to squeeze North Korea with fresh sanctions for its latest nuclear test on January 6.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team