The Obama administration will make a major push to convince China to pressure North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test, following the failure on Friday of Pyongyang's long-range missile launch, according to US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Kurt Campbell.
In an exclusive interview by telephone with The Australian, Campbell also takes aim at those Australian critics who accuse Washington of running a "containment" policy towards Beijing, describing such claims as "just wrong".
He arrived in Tokyo yesterday and will be involved in efforts to gain maximum regional pressure on North Korea not to follow up its failed rocket test with a nuclear explosion.
North Korea conducted nuclear tests after failed rocket launches in 2006 and 2009.
Campbell also confirms that the US will not now be providing the food aid that had been promised to North Korea under a recent deal in which Pyongyang committed to halting its nuclear activities.
US officials are leading international efforts to study the rocket launch for clues to North Korea's future intentions.
This involves both studying the debris scattered into the sea when the rocket broke up, and also studying Pyongyang's reaction to the launch failure.
North Korea's official media acknowledged the failure of this rocket launch, unlike previous occasions when it has claimed such failures as successes.
Campbell admits that Washington has limited knowledge about the internal deliberations of the North Korean government.
"One of the most difficult things is to make predictions about what North Korea will do next," he says.
"There is a clear determination among all the partners in the Six-Party talks (US, China, Japan, Russia, and North and South Korea) and throughout the region to discourage further provocations by Pyongyang.
"Similarly we want to send a clear message to China about our hope and expectation that they will weigh in with Pyongyang about the need to engage positively with its neighbours and refrain from further provocations."
US observers believe Beijing is frustrated with the failure of its diplomacy to moderate North Korean behaviour and that there is an active dialogue within Beijing leadership circles about how best to proceed with Pyongyang. Campbell rejects a Japanese analysis which suggests Beijing is secretly pleased with Pyongyang's provocative actions as they discomfort the US and Japan.
"I think that analysis is flawed on several levels," Campbell says.
"We have a lot of information and counterpart discussions with China. It's clear that the Chinese are unhappy with the steps which North Korea has taken.
