Seoul, July 23 (IANS) The US and China can continue to work together on North Korea while competing in other areas, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said.

Biegun made the remark in a written testimony on Wednesday to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of a hearing on US policy on China the same day, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs undermine our shared strategic interest in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," said Biegun, who doubles as the top US envoy for North Korea.

"China agrees that diplomacy is the preferred approach to resolving the issue of North Korea's
denuclearization."

Diplomatic efforts to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program have stalled since the collapse of the February 2019 Vietnam summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

As North Korea's biggest ally and economic benefactor, China wields considerable influence over Pyongyang's actions, said the Yonhap News Agency report.

Biegun said the US will continue to engage the Chinese to improve Beijing's enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang.

But he also acknowledged China's efforts to reduce trade with North Korea and urge the neighbouring country to continue diplomatic conversations with the US with the aim of bringing peace and prosperity to the Korean Peninsula.

--IANS ksk/