The U.S. says it shares a common interest with China in terms of ensuring stability in Northeast Asia.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley made the comment to reporters in Washington on Friday amid increased tensions that have resulted from North Korea’s artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea last month.

Crowley said that a delegation of U.S. officials, led by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, is looking forward to getting a full readout from Chinese officials about Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo’s visit to North Korea on Thursday and their current assessment of the thinking of the North Korean leadership.

Crowley said that China is pursuing the same goal as the U.S., which is for North Korea to cease provocative actions and take affirmative steps toward denuclearization.