North Korea on April 25, marked a military anniversary with a conventional firing drill, reports said, as South Korea announced joint naval exercises with a USA aircraft carrier amid tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
North Korea has surprised observers and experts who have been watching for a nuclear or missile provocation.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said it could not immediately confirm the report but was monitoring the North's military movements in the area and "firmly maintaining readiness". The jubilee was marked by massive - yet conventional - drills, which featured some 300-400 long-range artillery pieces and were supervised by North Korean leader Kin Jong-un, according to Yonhap News agency citing South Korean Army sources.
Pak Yong Sik, a senior military official, stated North Korea's nuclear weapons are "on standby at all times" and that "all USA imperialist bases in the Asia-Pacific are within range".
"The steps we're seeing China take, in many ways unprecedented steps, bringing economic pressure to bear on North Korea are very welcome", Mr Pence said.
The submarine's arrival comes as the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier heads toward the Korean Peninsula for a joint exercise with South Korea around the weekend.
Its state-run Rodong Simun newspaper touted the regime's ability to launch preemptive strikes on the South Korea-U.S. alliance with no advance notice if it spots a display of reckless behavior.
The drills coincided with military exercises held by United States and South Korean navies in the Yellow Sea, off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula and as the USS Michigan, one of US's most powerful submarines, arrived in South Korea. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters that the three envoys were to deepen cooperation and stay on the same page amid growing tension.
The joint drill is reported to be aimed at demonstrating the allies' resolve to retaliate for any provocations by Pyongyang.
Joseph Yun, the USA special representative for North Korea policy, told reporters after the meeting that "China has a very, very important role to play" to achieve the goal.
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South Korea's envoy, Kim Hong-kyun, said they had also discussed how to get Russia's help to press North Korea.
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A statement from U.S. Naval Forces Korea called the sub's visit "routine" and said it was a chance to highlight the alliance between the U.S. and South Korean navies.
While calling for a "restraint" in dealing with North Korea, China sent its top nuclear envoy Wu Dawei to Japan to exchanges views on Pyongyang's nuclear program.
During the call, the leaders pledged to strengthen their coordination on denuclearizing North Korea, the White House said.
"Trump added that he is reluctant to challenge China for its currency manipulation, adding he needs Xi's "real power" over North Korea to cool tensions in Asia". "People have put blindfolds on for decades, and now it's time to solve the problem".
The meeting follows a meeting the US President held with ambassadors from United Nations member states on the security council on Monday where he emphasised US resolve to stop North Korea's progress.
Trump told ambassadors from U.N. Security Council members that the status quo in North Korea is "unacceptable" and the council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions.
"They are at once perilously overestimating their own strength and underestimating the hazards they are brewing for themselves".
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