Haley said China is trying to be "productive."

"We do think they are trying to counter what is happening now and they have the lay of the land," she said.

The US will keep the pressure on China, while at the same time working with it, the envoy said.

"Nothing is changing North Korea's actions and so it's regrouping and saying, 'Okay, what are we going to do if this is going to happen every other day?'" she said. "How should we respond in a way that actually stops these things or slows them down?"

North Korea has carried out a total of nine missile tests this year alone in violation of UN resolutions. The Security Council has issued a series of press statements condemning the launches, but those warnings went unheeded by the communist regime in Pyongyang.

China has usually been reluctant about imposing sanctions on Pyongyang, calling for dialogue to resolve the problem. Since US President Donald Trump took office, however, Beijing has shown a greater willingness to increase pressure on the North.

But many analysts say China is unlikely to go as far as to cause real pain to Pyongyang. (Yonhap)