For much of the year the United States and its allies, including Australia, have insisted that China, as North Korea's largest trading partner, holds the key to bringing its rogue neighbour to heel. Acting prime minister Barnaby Joyce signalled his support for sanctions against China in response to North Korea's latest act of aggression. Credit:Andrew Meares US President Donald Trump tweeted overnight on Thursday: "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 per cent in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!" When asked about the US warning it could cut off trade with countries doing business with North Korea, Mr Joyce replied: "we obviously have sympathy". "If people want to aid and abet [North Korea], obviously, we can't be supporting them."

However, he later appeared to dampen his comments. When asked on Sky News whether he was "seriously talking" about trade sanctions, Mr Joyce replied: "No, what we are saying is that if there is an organisation that is trading with North Korea ... we have to look through the lens of this: 'do you take this threat seriously? Do you want to, are you going to do anything about it?'" This photo distributed by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 ICBM. Credit:AP Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was also forced to make clear that the government had "no plans" to impose sanctions on China. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, speaking with Sky News at the G20 meeting in Germany, said Mr Joyce had clarified that he was referring to sanctions against individual businesses and organisations. China is Australia's largest trading partner. In 2015-16, trade between the two countries was valued at $150 billion.

Mr Joyce, who is acting prime minister while Malcolm Turnbull travels to the G20, added the effect of trade sanctions against China would "pale into insignificance" against what would happen if North Korea continued down its nuclear program path. "If North Korea was to make a mistake in one of its launches ... and drop one of their missiles into South Korea or onto Japan then the economic plan for China, the economic plan for south-east Asia, would cease that moment." Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the acting prime minister's comments were "irresponsible" and that "a little more thinking before speaking would have been useful". Earlier, acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek pushed back against Mr Joyce's comments, saying he was being "all gung-ho on getting into a trade embargo with China". "I think more sober reflection would say China has played an important role, both through diplomatic and through economic means, of putting pressure on North Korea not to engage in missile testing," she said.

Ms Plibersek said it was a "critical time" and called for the international community - including the US and China - to work together to prevent any further missile and nuclear weapons tests. Mr Joyce's comments follow stern words of warning from the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki​ Haley who​ on Wednesday said North Korea was "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution". Mrs Haley told the UN security council that the US was prepared to employ the "full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies." "One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction." Mr Joyce told Sky News on Thursday that Australia had a "very strong working relationship" with the US and was "inextricably linked" with the country's defence platform.

The emergency UN meeting was convened in New York after North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, which some experts believe has the range to reach Alaska, the Pacific Northwest of the United States as well as Darwin and Cairns. On Wednesday, ahead of his European travels, Mr Turnbull issued a statement saying Australia "categorically condemns" North Korea's first launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile, describing it as a "further dangerous escalation by a reckless regime". Mr Turnbull called on China to use its "considerable leverage" to pressure the North Korean leadership to stop its dangerous behaviour and said Australia had agreed to "expanded autonomous sanctions" against the rogue state. "These sanctions will target North Korea's extractive industries and its shipping network." Loading

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