China wants to be good neighbour with N Korea

♦ US readying new sanctions if needed: Tillerson
♦ Pyongyang media carry out rare criticism of Beijing

China said yesterday it wants to be good neighbours with North Korea, after the isolated country's state news agency published a rare criticism of Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over the North's nuclear programme.

The United States has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in the North's nuclear and missile programmes, which have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that an "era of strategic patience" is over.

A commentary carried by North Korea's KCNA news agency referred to recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government".

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China's position was consistent and clear.

"China's position on developing friendly, good-neighbourly relations with North Korea is also consistent and clear," Geng told reporters, in response to a question about the KCNA commentary.

China was unswervingly devoted to the denuclearisation of the peninsula and maintaining peace and security and resolving the issue through talks, Geng added.

The WeChat account of the overseas edition of the People's Daily, in its reaction to the KCNA piece, said it was clear that North Korea's nuclear and missile activities were a threat to China.

Geng on Wednesday said "We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that Washington was working on more sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang takes steps that merit a new response.