tokyo u.s. vice president mike pence reassure japan american commitment rein north korea nuclear missile ambition tuesday warn u.s. strike syria afghanistan show strength resolve pence arrive tokyo south korea assure leaders iron-clad alliance unite state face reclusive north conduct series missile nuclear test defiance u.n. sanction era strategic patience options table president donald trump determine work closely japan south korea ally region china achieve peaceable resolution denuclearization korean peninsula pence say tokyo lunch prime minister shinzo abe pence abe agree need persuade china play large role deal north korea japanese government spokesman say north korea regularly threaten destroy japan south korea unite state show let-up belligerence fail missile test sunday day put huge display missiles parade pyongyang north korea deputy representative unite nations kim ryong accuse unite state monday create situation nuclear war could break time say north next nuclear test would take place time place headquarter deem necessary north korea vice foreign minister han song-ryol tell bbc missiles would test weekly monthly yearly basis north warn nuclear strike unite state provoke say develop missile strike mainland unite state officials experts believe time away master necessary technology include miniaturize nuclear warhead pence say monday world see trump resolve past two weeks u.s. missile attack syrian airfield drop powerful non-nuclear bomb islamic state fighters afghanistan trump administration say military action remain option deal north korea mindful would likely trigger massive retaliation casualties south korea japan u.s. officials say trump main focus tough economic sanction u.s. officials say tough sanction could include oil embargo global ban north korea airline intercept cargo ship punish chinese bank business pyongyang also say great chinese cooperation vital susan thornton act u.s. assistant secretary state east asia say secretary state rex tillerson china top diplomat state councillor yang jiechi agree phone call sunday need strict enforcement u.n. resolutions chinese foreign minister wang yi repeat china line crisis could resolve diplomacy see unite state reiterate will use political diplomatic mean resolve first choice tell reporters beijing course think country feel political diplomatic mean course first choice wang say pence economic discussions tokyo closely watch see hard line washington prepare take trade trump campaign america first platform vow narrow big trade deficits nations china japan however trump also show willingness link trade issue say would cut good trade deal china exert influence north korea china ban import north korean coal important export february chinese media raise possibility restrict oil shipments north north korea use chinese-made truck display missiles military parade saturday accord photograph underline difficulty enforce u.n. sanction china north korea maintain normal contact include normal business contact say chinese foreign ministry spokesman lu kang ask truck time permanent member u.n. security council china strictly adhere international responsibilities include security council resolutions lu tell daily brief impoverish north korea rich democratic south technically still war 1950-1953 conflict end truce peace treaty south korea host 28,500 u.s. troop counter threat north trump decision launch missile strike syria russian ally drop giant bomb afghanistan stick obama-era policies crimea mean russian hop befriend kremlin slide russian state media hail election win make u-turn sunday media say scary north korean leader kim jong un graphic nuclear north korea click graphic carl vinson strike group click pence reassure japan u.s. resolve north korea work china