President Joe Biden said on Monday that if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, the United States will need to take some “more defensive” actions.
The US leader emphasized that any defensive actions by the US would be “up in China’s face” and added that he has also encouraged Chinese President Xi Jinping to try and deter North Korea from doing additional provocative actions.
North Korea Nuclear Tests
The press conference was held in Bali, Indonesia, where Joe Biden and Xi Jinping had their first encounter since the US leader assumed office at the start of last year. According to earlier reports, the US would need to bolster its military posture in the Indo-Pacific area if North Korea conducted a nuclear test.
“The greatest concern I have is that there may be a misinterpretation of what each of us intends to do or say,” said Biden, who also claimed he has told his Chinese counterpart that such steps are not intended to target China but rather North Korea.
According to Seoul and Washington, the North appears to have completed all of its preparations for what will be its seventh nuclear test, and it may carry out the test at any time.
Such a conclusion was reached in the wake of the recent North Korean missile tests. Pyongyang has fired more than 40 missiles since September 25, including 23 different types of missiles on November 2.
Since the beginning of the year, the defiant country has fired 60 ballistic missiles, including seven intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The US has a significant military presence in South Korea and conducts joint drills with allies in the region, much to Pyongyang and leader Kim Jong Un.
There are now worries that North Korea may resume nuclear testing because it has recently started testing missiles swiftly. Despite its reputation for secrecy, Beijing is the closest thing the Pyongyang government has to an international ally.
Joe Biden said he did not believe that increasing tensions with China have escalated into a new “cold war” during his first face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping since taking office.
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Joe Biden-Xi Jinping Meeting
The warning took place during a meeting of the Group of 20, whose members account for around 80% of the world’s GDP. The White House provided a summary of the conversation, which stated that the two leaders searched for points of agreement.
They determined that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is America’s top diplomat, would go to China to carry on the dialogue. In order to achieve global climate mitigation, combat world hunger, and improve public health, Joe Biden informed the Chinese leader that he wanted to work with China.
Senior officials will get in touch with both sides to progress these and other issues. When the two leaders arrived at the meeting, the most important bilateral relationship in the entire world was tense.
In light of North Korea’s recent increase in missile tests—which included almost two dozen tests in one day this month—the US thinks China, the North’s largest trading partner, should use its clout to put pressure on Kim Jong Un to back off.
China has been conducting military exercises near Taiwan, which has raised concerns about a potential invasion of the sovereign island that China claims is a part of its territory. The visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August incensed China, which resulted in a lengthy series of drills.
