Can't continue business as usual, says Kerry on N Korea nuke test

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that China had promised to work on this

US Secretary of State John Kerry today asserted that one cannot continue business as usual in the aftermath of North Korea's nuclear test, as he said that America had been pushing China to use its influence over Pyongyang but it did not work.

"We cannot continue business as usual," Kerry told reporters at a State Department news conference as he refuted allegations that the US had taken its eye off the lid in last few years from North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

Responding to a question, Kerry said he himself and the Obama Administration at the highest level has been pushing China for past few years to use its influence over North Korea from developing its nuclear weapons programme.

Kerry said that China had promised to work on this and the United States agreed on the Chinese plan of action.

"That (Chinese action plan) has not worked (on North Korea)," the Secretary of State said.

"Let me just make it clear, North Korea has never been left unattended to. Not for one day. We have had meetings, we have had constant consultations," Kerry said.

"On the first trip that I made to China when I raised the issue of the climate negotiation that resulted in China joining with us, I spent most of that trip and most of that time on North Korea," he added.

"Now China had a particular approach that it wanted to make and we agreed and respected to give them the space to be able to implement that, but today in my conversation with the Chinese I made it very clear, that has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual," Kerry said in response to a question.

"But there have been any number of trips, any number of conversations that will show you how that premise is absolutely inaccurate, it's without foundation," said the Secretary of State.