The United States and China have found a common ground on the need to pass a UN Security Council resolution condemning North Korea for its latest nuclear test, but both sides have not been able to agree on the specific sanctions to take.

According to the New York Times, China is not keen on imposing broad sanctions against Pyongyang, but is open to pursuing sanctions against individuals working at North Korea's nuclear complex.

Like Us on Facebook

In a one-day meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington is contemplating on imposing stronger sanctions against North Korea which could affect DPRK's economic trade with China.

                                                                        Peaceful negotiations and dialogues

Wang stressed that the controversy over North Korea's nuclear test should be resolved only through peaceful negotiations and dialogues. He added that the UN resolution that will be passed should not create further tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Wang resented the US and other countries' accusations  that China has not been exerting much effort in curbing North Korea's nuclear tests and its seeming indifference to conduct peaceful resolutions regarding the nuclear test issues.

"For China, the worst-case scenario is you push North Korea over to become an enemy with nuclear weapons", said Zhang Baohui, director of the Center for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

                                                                      Irresponsible statements

Beijing, Pyongyang's major benefactor and largest trade partner, has dismissed the US State Department's pronouncements that China should do more to rein in North Korea as 'irresponsible.'

Chinese authorities have reiterated that Beijing has made tremendous efforts in ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons, saying the US should be more cautious in making statements without basis.

TagsNorth Korea's nuclear test, UN Security Council resolution, foreign minister Wang Yi, US Secretary of State John Kerry