The US President spoke to his Chinese and Japanese counterparts to discuss the North Korean threat as his patience began wearing thin over Kim Jong-un's nuclear threat.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were called by Trump on on Sunday and as well as discussing the threat posed by Kim Jong-un's army, Trump put pressure on the China's trade.

Trump's conversations with the two leaders followed White House talks with South Korea's new president, Moon Jae-in, last week in which the US leader called on Asian powers to implement sanctions and demand North Korea 'choose a better path and do it quickly.'

Trump has become increasingly frustrated with China's inability to rein in North Korea, and the reference to trade was an indication that the one-time New York businessman may be ready to return to his tougher-talking ways on business with Beijing after holding back in hopes that it would put more pressure on Pyongyang.

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President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after their meetings at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach

President Donald Trump walks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to make statements in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington

President Donald Trump, second from right, and first lady Melania Trump, right, stop to pose for a photo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second from left, and his wife Akie Abe, left, before they have dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach

On Sunday's talks, the White House said: 'Both leaders (Trump and Xi) reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

'President Trump reiterated his determination to seek more balanced trade relations with America´s trading partners.'

Trump and Abe, in their call, reiterated their commitment to increase pressure on North Korea.

The White House added: 'They reaffirmed that the United States-Japan Alliance stands ready to defend and respond to any threat or action taken by North Korea.'

The phone calls, ahead of meetings he will hold with both leaders at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on the weekend, come at a time of heightened concern over North Korea´s nuclear and missile programs.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un salutes

During and after a Florida summit with Xi in April, Trump praised his Chinese counterpart for agreeing to work on the North Korea issue and has held back on attacking Chinese trade practices he railed against during the presidential campaign.

But Trump has recently suggested he was running out of patience with China's modest steps to pressure North Korea, which is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States, and has been considering moving ahead on trade actions.

Trump has been weighing new quotas or tariffs on steel imports for national security reasons and plans to discuss his concerns at the G20.

Washington sees excess global production capacity, particularly in China, administration officials say.

On Thursday, the United States targeted a Chinese bank and sanctioned Chinese individuals and a firm for dealing with North Korea and approved a $1.42billion arms deal with Taiwan - decisions that angered Beijing.

And on Sunday a US warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, drawing a rebuke from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Trump, who held talks with Abe earlier this year at the president´s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, has forged a united front with the Japanese leader on the need to exert pressure on North Korea to curb its nuclear and missile development.