习近平支持和平解决朝鲜半岛紧张局势

Chinese state media say President Xi Jinping told U.S. leader Donald Trump that resolving North Korea tensions should be achieved peacefully.

The reports said the leaders spoke by telephone Wednesday, nearly a week after face-to-face talks at a summit in the U.S. state of Florida. The White House has not yet issued its account of the conversation.

On Tuesday, Trump used Twitter to reiterate his calls for China to help rein in North Korea.

“North Korea is looking for trouble,” Trump wrote. “If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them!”

He did not elaborate on what actions the U.S. might take. But in another message posted minutes earlier, Trump said he told Xi terms of a trade deal would be better for China “if they solve the North Korea problem.”

China is North Korea's main benefactor, with the Council on Foreign Relations describing Beijing as North Korea's “most important ally, biggest trading partner, and main source of food, arms, and energy.”

But China has also grown weary of North Korea's repeated missile tests in violation of United Nations sanctions, as well as its five nuclear tests. Some analysts believe North Korea is preparing a sixth nuclear test.

Trump Saturday dispatched a U.S. Navy strike group to the northern Pacific waters near North Korea to send a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea has said that the U.S. missile attack last week on Syria in response to that country's use of chemical weapons justifies Pyongyang's nuclear development program, as the country fears a similar U.S. attack.