REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula by telephone on Monday, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The two countries share extensive common interests, Xi told Trump, Xinhua reported, saying the two also discussed Trump's upcoming China visit. It did not immediately provide other details.
Also read: U.S. allies in Asia welcome new sanctions on North Korea
Meanwhile, major U.S. allies in Asia on Tuesday welcomed the U.N. Security Council's unanimous vote to step up sanctions on North Korea, with its profitable textile exports now banned and fuel supplies to the reclusive North capped after its sixth nuclear test.
A defiant North Korea for its part "categorically rejected" the resolution, saying the United States was "fired up" for confrontation and would soon face the "greatest pain" it had ever experienced.
Japan and South Korea said after the passage of the U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution they were prepared to apply more pressure if North Korea refused to end its aggressive development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Monday's (September 11) decision was the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member Security Council since 2006 over North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.