China called Friday for stepped-up efforts to resume international dialogue on North Korea's nuclear weapons program after the United States rejected an offer from the North to temporarily freeze nuclear tests in exchange for a halt to joint South Korea-U.S. military drills.
"Under the current circumstances, relevant parties should make joint efforts and come back to the track of dialogue and consultation to create favorable conditions for the resumption of six-party talks," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told reporters when asked about the U.S. refusal.