The White House has again called on China to play a stronger role in stopping North Korean provocations.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Tuesday that “the Chinese have a duty and an obligation to greatly press upon the North Koreans that their belligerent behavior has to come to an end.”

He added that he thinks there will be progress on multilateral discussions on the matter over the next few days. Gibbs was apparently referring to a meeting of foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan that will open in Washington on Tuesday.

He then stressed that the bottom line is movement and progress with the North.