US and China split over North Korea missile test

North Korea's "paradigm-changing" missile test has split the US and China over how to deal with the rogue state, CNN reports.

A diplomatic rift has grown following yesterday's test of a an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the potential to carry a nuclear warhead to Alaska.

North Korea's state broadcaster claims the regime now has the power to attack the US mainland directly with a nuclear warhead.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

While US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says all options "must remain on the table", China and Russia have tried to de-escalate tensions by calling for Pyongyang to freeze further tests and Washington to halt military exercises in the region.

A joint statement by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin called for both sides to halt military action and engage in talks, reports Bloomberg.

North Korea "appeared to cross a new threshold" by testing a missile that experts say could touch the US, says the New York Times.

The Washington Post described it as “a direct challenge" to the White House, adding that experts say "the administration does not have many choices for what to do next".

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called on Seoul's allies to demonstrate their missile defence posture "with action, not just a statement", the BBC reports.

The UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door emergency meeting later today after US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley requested urgent talks. Pyongyang is banned from developing and testing nuclear warheads.