U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi agreed Wednesday that North Korea's "twin pursuit" of nuclear weapons and economic development will not succeed, the White House said.
  

During a meeting in New York, Rice and Yang also agreed to strengthen coordination on regional and global challenges, including North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, global health security and counterterrorism, NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement.
  

"They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agreed that North Korea would not succeed in its twin pursuit of nuclear weapons and economic development," the statement said.
  

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made the "byeongjin" policy one of the country's biggest goals, pledging to rebuild the country's moribund economy while at the same time forging ahead with its nuclear program.
  

South Korea and the U.S. have said the policy is a nonstarter, stressing the North cannot revive its economy as long as it holds on to nuclear ambitions. In recent months, however, some experts have said cautiously that the North's policy might be working, citing signs of improvement in the North's economy.
  

Rice and Yang also agreed that Iran should seize the "historic opportunity" presented by the ongoing P5 plus one negotiations to address the international community's concerns over its nuclear program, the statement said.
  

Discussing preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the U.S., Rice underscored the importance of expanding tangible cooperation on shared interests while addressing areas of disagreement, including cyber issues, the statement said. (Yonhap)