The United States will accelerate talks with China to ensure the adoption of a strong sanctions resolution against North Korea at the U.N. Security Council, the Foreign Ministry quoted a senior U.S. diplomat as saying Thursday.

Ambassador Thomas Shannon, counselor of the State Department and nominee for under secretary of state for political affairs, made the remarks in a meeting with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se while explaining the outcome of Wednesday's talks between the U.S. and Chinese foreign ministers in Beijing, the ministry said in a press release.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to coordinate their response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, but the two sides failed to narrow differences over the appropriate level of punishment for Pyongyang.

Shannon told Yun that Washington will continue close coordination with Seoul for a "stronger and more comprehensive"

resolution from the U.N. Security Council while "accelerating talks with China and other relevant nations through various channels," the ministry said.

Yun said the two sides should jointly seek strategies at the bilateral, multilateral and international levels to deal with North Korea once the council adopts a resolution.

China's cooperation is critical as it is one of five veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with the U.S., France, Britain and Russia.

Although it has agreed to impose sanctions on North Korea, it has been reluctant to push the neighboring country too hard out of concerns for its own security interests. (Yonhap)