WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — China must be involved in any solution to the problem posed by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) commander Gen. John Hyten said in a congressional testimony on Tuesday.
"I look at it from a strategic perspective, and I can’t see a solution that doesn’t involve China," Hyten stated.
The STRATCOM commander noted he will always be ready to provide President Donald Trump with military options to address such problems.
"I will always have military options ready," Hyten said. "That is my job."
3 April 2017, 19:02 GMT
Tensions in the Korean Peninsula have escalated since North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests that the United States and its allies claim are a threat to the security of the region and have been conducted in violation of UN resolutions.
On March 6, North Korea launched four missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan and tested a new high-thrust rocket engine tested 12 days later.
US President Donald Trump stated in an interview on Sunday that if China is not going to solve the problem with North Korea, the United States will, hinting at the possibility of unilateral action by Washington.
