China using back channels to stop North Korea: US envoy

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that Washington believes China is being 'productive' as it is using its channels to stop North Korea from carrying out missile launches.

"At this point I do believe, and I think the administration believes, that China is doing back-channel networking with North Korea in way that is getting them to try to stop its nuclear testing, so we believe that they are being productive, we do think that they are trying to counter what is happening now," Sputnik news quoted Haley as telling reporters.

The United States, Haley added, will continue to put pressure on China and at the same time will go on working with Beijing towards the goal of decreasing tensions in the region.

She added that talks regarding a new resolution on sanctions against North Korea in retaliation of its missile launches are ongoing, but no particular agreement has been reached.

On Monday, Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile that flew some 280 miles and fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. The move has already been criticized by Japanese, South Korean and Russian officials.

This month alone the country has carried out five missile launches.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had earlier vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory.