Anchor: U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Biden after the meeting told reporters that North Korea was one of the topics, saying that he told Xi that the U.S. will have to take action to protect the U.S. and its allies if North Korea escalates tensions further.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Monday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali.

[Sound bite: US President Joe Biden]
"We share responsibilities, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything near conflict, and find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation."

[Sound bite: Chinese President Xi Jinping (Chinese-English)]
"As leaders of the two major countries we need to chart the right course for the China-U.S. relationship. We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship."

Among the wide range of topics they touched upon during their three-hour meeting was North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

[Sound bite: US President Joe Biden]
"Well, first of all, it’s difficult to say that I am certain that — that China can control North Korea, number one."

In a press briefing after the summit, Biden said he told Xi that China must try to prevent North Korea from staging long-range nuclear missile tests.

[Sound bite: US President Joe Biden]
"... we would have to take certain actions that would be more defensive on our behalf, and it would not be directed against North Korea — I mean — excuse me — it would not be directed against China, but it would be to send a clear message to North Korea. We are going to defend our allies, as well as American soil and American capacity."

Biden said that he told Xi that China has an obligation to dissuade Pyongyang. The U.S. president, however, repeatedly stressed that he is unclear whether or not China has the capacity to control North Korea.

This came as China and Russia continue to oppose taking joint action at the UN Security Council against North Korea's recent barrage of missile launches.

Beijing and Moscow initially supported toughened sanctions after North Korea's last nuclear test in 2017.

The two of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have argued that the resumption of massive military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea triggered North Korea to respond with missiles.

Washington and Beijing remain at odds over key issues, ranging from Taiwan and Hong Kong to human rights, trade and technology.

During the meeting, Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s primary interests, calling the matter the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.