U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has reaffirmed the United States' commitment to nuclear talks with North Korea and urged China to fully enforce United Nations sanctions against the regime.

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said Thursday in a press release that Biegun made the remarks during a phone call with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said Biegun reiterated the U.S. commitment to negotiations with North Korea on all pillars of the Singapore agreement and urged China to fully implement UN Security Council sanctions. 

The four pillars refer to the agreement made during the inaugural summit in 2018 between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They include complete denuclearization of and a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. 

The department said Biegun and Le also discussed Wednesday's signing of a "phase one" trade agreement between the U.S. and China and the need to work together toward effective implementation.

[Photo : YONHAP News]