US Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to increase pressure on North Korea after over its nuclear program.

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to increase pressure on North Korea after over its nuclear program.

During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Kerry said that Pyongyang’s nuclear program is a "major challenge to global security.”

The North's pursuit of atomic weapons is "one of the most important issues for the security of the United States of America", the top US diplomat told Wang Yi on the last stop of his Asian tour.

A US official said earlier the issue would be at the top of Kerry's agenda, adding: "The Secretary has made no secret... of his conviction that there is much more that China can do by way of applying leverage (on Pyongyang)."

North Korea staged on January 6 a nuclear test, saying it was a miniaturized hydrogen bomb. Following the test, China said it "firmly opposes" the North's actions and summoned its diplomats for "solemn representations".

Wang welcomed the fact that Kerry's trip had taken in a number of Asian countries, saying visiting them could help him understand the continent.

"It can help you listen to voices more objectively," he added.

As Kerry arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, the state-run China Daily ran an article headlined: "Experts have low hopes for Kerry's China trip."

Before Wednesday's meeting, the official news agency Xinhua issued a commentary blaming the US's "uncompromising hostility" and "Cold War mentality" for the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Washington's actions, such as flying a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber close to the inter-Korean boder, were heightening the North's "sense of insecurity and thus pushing it towards reckless nuclear brinkmanship", it added.