A crowd gathers to watch coverage of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) missile test on a giant screen in a public square in Pyongyang on Saturday. Kim Jong-un boasted of North Korea's ability to strike any target in the US after a second ICBM test that weapons experts said could reach New York. Photo: AFP

The US said on Sunday that it successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile target with its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense program, ignoring China's call for relevant parties to act prudently after North Korea's latest missile test on Friday.



The US Missile Defense Agency said Sunday that the US has now successfully intercepted test targets 15 times for its THAAD weapon system, Reuters reported.



The THAAD system's test is the US' way of showing support to its ally in Northeast Asia, as it remains uncertain whether the system could successfully shoot down a medium-range missile from North Korea in the narrow landscape of the Korean Peninsula, Lü Chao, a researcher on North Korea at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.



The US should calm down instead of irritating North Korea at this critical period as the North has frequently tested missiles in recent days with more mature technology, he added.



The US test, conducted over the Pacific Ocean, comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea, which on Saturday said it had conducted its own successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that proved it has the capacity to strike the US mainland.



The US also flew two B-1B bombers over the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, said Reuters.



Amid the tensions, US President Donald Trump tweeted twice on Saturday that he was "very disappointed" in China and that it had done nothing with regard to North Korea.



"...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!" Trump tweeted.



Lü said that it is unreasonable for the US to blame China as China and North Korea are two sovereign states and no one has any power to "solve" the other's problem.



Meanwhile, he added that China has made sufficient efforts to solve the problem, and it has strictly implemented resolutions of the UN Security Council.



China has banned imports of coal, iron ore, gold, rare earths, and several other raw minerals from North Korea, and has banned the sale of jet fuel to North Korea as well.



However, the US always wants China to take tougher action against North Korea, which means cut all imports, Lü said.



He said it is unreasonable and impossible because China has a humanitarian obligation to provide North Korean people with a livelihood.



