US President Donald Trump has been warned by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to avoid aggravating tensions over North Korea.<br /><br />The two leaders have spoken by phone, China’s president calling on all sides to avoid “words and deeds” capable of exacerbating the situation.<br /><br />Over the past week both Trump and North Korea have been cranking up the warlike rhetoric, raising fears of a military conflict.<br /><br />After meeting his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, the American president said the situation with North Korea was “very dangerous” and would “not continue”.<br /><br />He added that both good and bad things could happen, and “nobody loves a peaceful solution better than President Trump”.<br /><br />There are mixed messages from Washington: in contrast to the president’s words and notorious tweets, the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has urged diplomacy saying war would be catastrophic. <br /><br />Tensions have worsened since North Korea tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, amid reports its nuclear capability may be advancing.<br /><br />Pyongyang has been angered by the UN’s decision to step up economic sanctions.<br />It may be further antagonised by the Pentagon’s announcement that the US and South Korea will continue as planned with a joint military exercise in 10 days’ time.<br />
