US Defence Secretary: North Korea An 'Urgent Military Threat'

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has turned up the heat on North Korea, labelling the country an "urgent military threat".

Speaking at an international security conference in Singapore, Mr Mattis also criticised China for what he described as coercive behaviour in the South China Sea. He said:

"While the North Korean regime has a long record of murder of diplomats, of kidnapping, killing of sailors and criminal activity, its nuclear weapons programme is maturing as a threat to all. As a matter of national security, the United States regards the threat from North Korea as a clear and present danger."

"We're working diplomatically, economically, we're trying to exhaust all possible alternatives to avert this race for a nuclear weapon in violation of ... the United Nations' restrictions on North Korea's activities."

"We want to stop this. We consider it urgent... The regime has increased the pace and scope of its efforts."

Mr Mattis went on to say, however, that the Trump administration is encouraged by China's renewed commitment to working with the US and others to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.

He also said he thinks China ultimately will see it as a liability rather than an asset, suggesting he believes the country will, out of self-interest, exert leverage on North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile programmes. 

It comes after China blocked tough new sanctions against North Korea that the US pushed in the UN Security Council on Friday.

The council did, however, vote unanimously to add 15 individuals and four entities linked to the North's nuclear and missile programmes to a UN sanctions blacklist.

In his speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr Mattis sought to balance his hopeful comments on China with sharp criticism of what he called Beijing's disregard for international law by its "indisputable militarisation" of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. He said: 

"We oppose countries militarising artificial islands and enforcing excessive maritime claims unsupported by international law."

"We cannot and will not accept unilateral, coercive changes to the status quo."

But he added: "While competition between the US and China, the world's two largest economies, is bound to occur, conflict is not inevitable."