Beijing: With the clock ticking, and North Asia on edge, the United States and China appear to be deploying carrot and stick diplomacy in attempt to dissuade North Korea from a nuclear test or missile launch.

A day after berating Pyongyang with the threat of tougher sanctions, a prominent Chinese state-owned newspaper has told the rogue state its best chance of survival is giving up nuclear weapons and accepting Chinese protection.

The Global Times, in its Chinese-language editorial, warned there is increasing consensus between the US and China on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, with one difference being that the US may be prepared to use force.

North Korea's best option was to announce a halt to its nuclear program, and in return China would ensure North Korea's security afterwards and help to revive its economy, the editorial said.