"We need to... Redouble the pressure on North Korea," Carter told reporters on a visit to Oslo.
He pointed to moves to strengthen defences in the region, including the deployment of advanced anti-missile systems.
"One of the things I'd like to single out is the role of China," Carter said, referring to North Korea's main ally.
"China shares important responsibility for this development and has an important responsibility to reverse it," he said.
The underground test, the fifth and most powerful in North Korea's controversial nuclear programme, was announced by state media in Pyongyang earlier Friday.
The explosion had a yield of 10,000 kilotonnes, according to experts.
The UN Security Council was to meet later Friday to discuss a response.
North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006.
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