U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that North Korea poses a continuous threat to the region and beyond with its nuclear and missile programs. 

Blinken made the remark during a virtual joint meeting of foreign and defense ministers from the U.S. and Japan, pointing to the North’s launch of what it called a hypersonic missile earlier this week. 

He said that aggressive behavior by the North, as well as China and Russia, is threatening the rules-based international order and the alliance should not only strengthen the tools they have but also develop new ones to cope with the evolving threats. 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also addressed challenges by the North’s nuclear ambitions and China’s “coercive and aggressive behavior.”

The annual security consultative talks between the two countries, which also involved Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, came two days after the North’s first launch since October.