
Even as South Korea and the US began joint aerial drills which is the largest ever undertaken by the two countries, North Korea said the drills would "push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war".
Reacting to the joint military exercise, China's foreign minister Wang Yi said the "resurfacing of tensions was regrettable".
"China has an open attitude on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, but that parties should be consultative," China's foreign minister added.
Blaming both North Korea and US allies involved in military brinkmanship, Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not "grasped the window of opportunity" presented by two months of calm before North Korea's recent ballistic test.
North Korea's allyRussia said the US was trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into "flying off the handle" over his missile programme.
Last week President Trump had said his administration would be imposing big sanctions on North Korea and pressed Russia and China to cut oil supply to North Korea in an attempt to bring North Korea's Kim to stop his missile programme, however, both Russia and China opposed the US proposal.