Donald Trump has criticised China for not doing enough to control North Korea, in his latest barbs on Twitter aimed at Beijing.

Weeks after using the social media site to lash out at the country over its currency and stance on Taiwan, the US President-elect took aim at China on Monday for benefiting from trade with the US while not doing its bit to rein in Pyongyang.

"China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the US in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice!," he tweeted.

Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, boasted on Sunday that North Korea was in the "final stages" of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, claiming the country had significantly bolstered its nuclear deterrent in 2016.