US President Donald Trump warned Saturday that he would "no longer" allow China to "do nothing" on North Korea, after the belligerent hermit state launched an intercontinental ballistic missile test.

In his critique, which came in two tweets, Mr Trump linked trade woes with the Asian giant to policy on North Korea, after South Korea indicated it was speeding the deployment of a US missile defense that has infuriated China.

"I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk," Mr Trump wrote.