Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang batted off a question at a briefing in Beijing on whether his nation would consider limiting oil shipments to North Korea.
"The actions and reactions of the Security Council will depend on the conclusions reached through debate by its members," Geng said, according to an official transcript. "China will promote denuclearization and the maintenance of stability on the peninsula, and promote solving problems on the peninsula through dialogue and consultation."
Since the Korean War, Beijing has avoided prodding North Korea to the point it might collapse, fearing a destabilizing economic blow and the possibility of the U.S. military gaining influence on its border via a unified Korea. That calculation has held even while China's interests have diverged from those of North Korea.
Even so, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa said Tuesday that her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi told her that Beijing is open to additional sanctions. Kang told parliament that her nation is working with the U.S. for the "strongest" measures against North Korea.
Trump agreed on Monday to support billions of dollars in new weapons sales to South Korea. In a phone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, Trump said he would support "in principle" the U.S. ally fitting its missiles with heavier warheads, boosting its deterrence against North Korea.
Hours later, the Seoul-based Asia Business Daily reported that North Korea was preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile before Saturday. The country's defense ministry declined to comment on the report saying the isolated state was observed moving an ICBM to a launch site.
South Korea has detected "continued activities" related to North Korea missile tests in the aftermath of its sixth and most powerful nuclear detonation, according to a government official who asked not to be named in line with government policy.
Chang Kyung-soo, acting chief of the Defense Ministry's policy planning office, told lawmakers in Seoul on Monday that North Korea was readying a missile firing, but didn't give a timeframe. The Yonhap News Agency cited South Korea's spy agency as saying there is a chance Pyongyang could fire an ICBM into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea has previously threatened to launch missiles toward Guam.
South Korea's Defense Ministry will review "various possible options" to find a "realistic" solution to North Korea's threats, spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday. He was clarifying Defense Minister Song Young-moo's comment yesterday that redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons could be an option.
The nation's navy also began live-fire drills involving 20 vessels -- exercises that will continue through Saturday.
Sunday's test, North Korea's first since Trump took office, was a "perfect success" and confirmed the precision and technology of the bomb, the regime said. Energy from the underground explosion was about six times stronger than the last test a year ago, South Korea's weather agency said.