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SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of 鈥� America鈥檚 top diplomat on Thursday pressed China to use its 鈥渢remendous influence鈥� to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, hours after the North said it will ignore U.S. offers to resume negotiations.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke at the end of security talks in Seoul, which included Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korea's foreign and defence ministers. Their first so-called 鈥渢wo plus two鈥� meeting in five years came as President Joe Biden pushes to restore America鈥檚 alliances in Asia in the face of challenges from China and North Korea.

鈥淏eijing has an interest, a clear self-interest, in helping to pursue denuclearization of (North Korea) because it is a source of instability. It is a source of danger and obviously a threat to us and our partners,鈥� Blinken told a news conference.

He said Beijing has a critical role to persuade North Korea to denuclearize because most of the North鈥檚 external trade goes through China. Blinken stressed that China is obligated by U.N. Security Council resolutions to fully enforce sanctions imposed over North Korea鈥檚 nuclear and missile tests.

China, the North鈥檚 last major ally and biggest aid benefactor, has long been suspected of avoiding completely implementing sanctions on the North. Some observers say China believes a unified, pro-U.S. Korea would undermine its strategic interests and worries that a humanitarian disaster in North Korea could push swarms of refugees flooding over the countries鈥� border.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Beijing would 鈥渃ontinue to play a constructive role鈥� in working toward a political settlement on the Korean Peninsula. Zhao reiterated Thursday that China advocates a 鈥渢wo-track approach鈥� to the issue, whereby the U.S. would offer security guarantees to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons programs.

鈥淎ll parties concerned should move in the same direction, work together to manage differences, actively promote dialogue and contacts, and maintain regional peace and stability,鈥� Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Choe Son Hui, North Korea鈥檚 first vice foreign minister, confirmed Blinken鈥檚 previous announcement that Washington had reached out to Pyongyang through several channels starting in mid-February, but it hasn鈥檛 received any response.

Choe called the U.S. outreach a 鈥渢ime-delaying trick鈥� and said North Korea would discarding offers for talks unless Washington withdraws its hostility. 鈥淲hat has been heard from the U.S. since the emergence of the new regime is only a lunatic theory of 鈥榯hreat from North Korea鈥� and groundless rhetoric about 鈥榗omplete denuclearization,鈥欌�� she said.

Asked about Choe鈥檚 statement, Blinken said he鈥檚 more interested in the thoughts of U.S. partners while he was making a regional tour. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Thursday鈥檚 talks dealt with the North Korean statement and its intentions. He said South Korea hopes for the early resumption of U.S.-North Korean talks.

U.S.-led diplomacy focusing on North Korea鈥檚 nuclear weapons remains stalemated because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions. Experts are debating whether the United States and its allies should settle for a deal that would freeze North Korea鈥檚 nuclear activities in return for relaxing sanctions to prevent its arsenal from growing.

Earlier this week, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned the United States to 鈥渞efrain from causing a stink,鈥� while criticizing the U.S.-South Korean drills that her government views as an invasion rehearsal.

Some experts say North Korea may further raise animosities with missile tests to boost its negotiation leverage. North Korea鈥檚 moribund economy is hurting because of the pandemic-related border closure that has significantly shrunk its external trade and a spate of natural disasters last summer.

After Thursday鈥檚 talks, Blinken, Austin and their South Korean counterparts said in a joint statement that North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile issues are 鈥渁 priority for the alliance鈥� and reaffirmed a shared commitment to address those issues.

Austin said the U.S. is fully committed to the defence of South Korea, using 鈥渢he full range of U.S. capabilities, including our extended deterrent.鈥� Blinken slammed North Korea鈥檚 human rights record for a second straight day, saying that people in North Korea 鈥渃ontinue to suffer widespread and systematic abuses at the hands of a repressive government.鈥�

Later Thursday, Blinken and Austin met South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who said Seoul will continue close co-operation with Washington to achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Blinken and Austin are on the first overseas trip by Cabinet-level officials since Biden took office. They visited Japan before coming to Seoul.

South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said that during Thursday鈥檚 talks the U.S. side stressed the importance of a U.S.-led trilateral security co-operation involving Seoul and Tokyo many times. He said South Korea in principle agrees on the U.S. view. Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have suffered major setbacks in recent years over issues stemming from Japan鈥檚 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

Blinken said Thursday鈥檚 talks discussed China鈥檚 role, and 鈥渨e are clear eyed about Beijing鈥檚 consistent failure to uphold its commitments.鈥�

鈥淎nd we spoke about how Beijing鈥檚 aggressive and authoritarian behaviour are challenging the stability and security prosperity of the Pacific region,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eijing鈥檚 actions make forging a common approach among our allies all the more important at a time when we鈥檙e seeing a rollback of democracy and human rights around the world, including in Burma.鈥�

Blinken will meet senior Chinese officials in Anchorage, Alaska, on his way back to Washington, while Austin will travel on to New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.

China鈥檚 ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, said Beijing doesn鈥檛 expect the Alaska talks will resolve all the issues between China and the U.S. and 鈥渨e don鈥檛 hold overly high hopes.鈥� Cu still added that he hoped the meeting would be 鈥渁 start and that the two sides can begin a dialogue process that is candid, constructive and realistic.鈥�

Hyung-Jin Kim And Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press