China must use influence to stop North Korea, Theresa May says

'We absolutely condemn the action that North Korea has taken,' Prime Minister says following long-range missile test by rogue state

Theresa May's 'citizens of nowhere' speech sparked huge controversy (Reuters)

China must step up and exercise its influence with North Korea in order to resolve escalating tensions in south-east Asia, Theresa May has said.

As she arrived in Hamburg for the G20 summit, the Prime Minister condemned North Korea’s recent successful testing of a new long-range missile and said that she would support a tightening of sanctions against the authoritarian regime.

Speaking to reporters aboard her RAF Voyager plane as it touched down on the tarmac in Germany, the Prime Minister argued that it was “important that we see China playing its role”.

China has historically backed the maverick North Korean regime because of its shared ideological heritage and geographic proximity, but has begun to change its tone in recent years.

Earlier this year China condemned another North Korean missile test but it reacted angrily at the end of June after the US imposed sanctions against a Chinese bank accused of having links to Pyongyang.

“What I think needs to happen is first of all, we absolutely condemn the action that North Korea has taken,” Ms May told reporters.

“What we need to see is a China who can exercise influence on North Korea [and] playing a greater role in doing that. If there are proposals to tighten sanctions and extend sanctions, we will do that.

“On North Korea, it’s important that we see China playing its role and any other [country] who can exercise influence."

Ms May's emphasis on China’s role is similar to that of the US. The American ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Hayley, said following the latest missile launch that "much of the burden of enforcing UN sanctions rests with China” because “90 per cent of trade with North Korea is from China”.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the US President's controversial decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“I have already made clear our position to President {Donald] Trump: we continue to believe the Paris Agreement is something we should all be supporting and obviously there will be a discussion about the United States' position here at the G20 but I and others around that table will be encouraging President Trump to look at ways the United States can come back into the Paris Agreement," she said.