BEIJING/WASHINGTON  -- The leaders of the US and China once again called on North Korea, Saturday, to stop its provocative actions which recently have sparked high tensions on the Korean peninsular, while vowing to cooperate on a peaceful resolution to the North’s nuclear issue.

After the phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the White House said in a statement that the leaders agreed that “North Korea must stop its provocative and escalatory behavior.” 

“The presidents also reiterated their mutual commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” it added, stressing “relationship between the two presidents is an extremely close one, and will hopefully lead to a peaceful resolution of the North Korea problem.”

China’s state media also reported that Chinese President Xi urged Trump to avoid hawkish remarks that could exacerbate already highly running tension on the Korean peninsular.

The CCTV said Xi called for a peaceful resolution of North Korea’s nuclear ambition and stressed that peace on the Korean Peninsula is the common interest for China and the US

The phone conversation came a day after Trump ratcheted up tensions with North Korea, saying the military is “locked and loaded” to deal with the regime’s provocations.

The warning is the latest in an exchange of bellicose rhetoric that has heightened concerns about a possible conflict between Washington and Pyongyang.

“Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely,” Trump tweeted. “Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!”

The tit-for-tat war of words began this week after Pyongyang threatened to retaliate against Washington for new United Nations sanctions against the regime. The US orchestrated the unanimous adoption of the resolution in response to the North’s two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month.

Trump warned North Korea Tuesday it will be met with “fire and fury” if it continues to threaten his country. North Korea said it would fire ballistic missiles towards Guam, home to some 7,000 American military personnel.

On Thursday, Trump doubled down on his warnings, saying his “fire and fury” remark may not have been tough enough.

And a day later, he told reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, that his administration is looking at military options “very carefully.”

Kim, the North Korean leader, will “truly regret it and he will regret it fast” if he utters an overt threat at Guam or any territory belonging to the US or its allies, he added. (Yonhap)