'Dual suspension' proposal most feasible plan on North Korea: China

China said on Thursday it backed "dual suspension" plan on North Korea as the best solution to handle the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Under the "dual suspension" plan the US and South Korea would stop military exercise close to North Korea in exchange Kim's regime would halt its nuclear weapons programme, both China and Russia back the move.

"We believe that the 'dual suspension' proposal is the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. 

"Not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks, and find a breakthrough point to get out of trouble," Shuang added.

US President Trump had rejected the  "freeze for freeze" agreement which is similar to the dual suspension plan during his meeting President Xi when the two leaders had met recently.

"We hope that all sides can conscientiously treat and proactively consider China's proposal, and at the same time we welcome relevant parties to put forward proposals that can benefit the promotion of a peaceful resolution for the peninsula nuclear issue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman felt.

The US too is watching the situation closely, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "Both sides made their positions clear. They are different, but we agreed that there are going to be different positions and therefore it's not going to move forward."

Even as the two sides talk on diffusing the North Korean crisis, US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers recently concluded their naval exercise on the Korean peninsula.

USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt had carried out the operation off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday

On Thursday, Japan and the US began their naval drill in southern Japan to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations building pressure on North Korea not to act in haste over its missile programme.