Washington (CNN) There is a quiet effort underway to tone down any military rhetoric that could lead to North Korea viewing the Pentagon as warmongering, several US military officials have told CNN.

At the same time, the Pentagon is trying to lower its public profile regarding Navy ship transits through the South China Sea, which have provoked Chinese ire, as part of an overall administration effort to improve relations with Beijing so that it pressures Pyongyang to curb its nuclear weapons program.

The strategy comes in the wake of contradictory statements by President Donald Trump on his policy toward North Korea and growing tensions in the region over its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.

He warned of the possibility of a "major, major conflict" with Pyongyang at the end of April, and then days later said he would be willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to defuse tensions.

The Obama administration had publicized the US Navy's South China Sea ship transits, known as "Freedom of Navigation Operations," to ensure Beijing was seen as not willing to acknowledge the area as international waters.

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